It is summer in Iowa. That means warm temperatures and even more uncomfortable humidity! Even when the sun goes down at night it still feels almost tropical outside. I'm sweating just thinking about it! While humidity levels like we're seeing now are typical for this part of summer, did you know that the corn in Iowa fields is partly to blame?

CBS2/FOX28 Meteorologist Terry Swails explains in a recent blog that when corn reaches maturity around this time of year, it sweats just like people do. That process is called evapotranspiration. That sweat from the corn adds even MORE moisture into the air when it's already humid out. That can lead to some oppressive head indexes.

Just last year in Cedar Rapids, on July 21st, we had a heat index of 83! Combine that with the air temperature of 92 and the heat index that day was a very uncomfortable 116!  So the next time someone disputes the old saying, 'it's not the heat...it's the humidity,' they've clearly never spent summer in Iowa.

 

[via CBS2]

More From 98.1 KHAK