Summer humidity highest on record

How much damage have high temperatures done to the Cornbelt corn crop?

That question will not be answered for awhile though we will get some idea in the August WASDE report from USDA. Jerry Gidel of North American Risk Management highlighted some information from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, a service of Iowa State University's Department of Agronomy, today that puts July temperatures and humidity in some historical context. The details can be found at the IEM site.

The average low temperature for July 1-25 this year was the second highest on record — second only to those of 1936 at the depths of the “Dust Bowl” years. Those high temperatures can damage a corn crop if there is not enough moisture available but humidity helps corn plants maintain moisture and keep growing.

Humidity this year has been the highest on record, breaking the previous record set last year.

As seen on marketwatchonline.com