DES MOINES, Iowa — Corn sweat is not a new weather term. I think more people are talking about it right now, because social media is talking about it more. Corn sweat is an easier way to say evapotranspiration. This happens this time of the year in Iowa, when the maturing crops put off extra water vapor. The growing corn crop puts off extra moisture into the air.

With the amount of corn grown across the state, 12.9 million acres in 2024 according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, the corn sweat produces weather you can wear.

If you take a hot shower in a cold bathroom, you get fog on the mirror. This is what is happening around the growing corn. The dewpoints are high and it feels more like a sauna outside.

It needs to feel closer to 105 degrees for a heat advisory to go into effect. A cold front is coming through Iowa on Thursday. Temperatures will be slightly cooler with more rain on the way.

The heat and humidity will be high again next week.