“Dog Days are approaching; you must, therefore, make both hay and haste while the Sun shines,
for when old Sirius takes command of the weather, he is such an unsteady, crazy dog,
there is no dependence upon him.”
–The Old Farmer’s Almanac, 1817
With much of the U.S. and parts of Europe enduring record-breaking heat, drought, and wildfires, you may have heard the phrase “Dog Days of Summer”.
But what exactly does that mean? And when are the “Dog Days of Summer”?
According to an online article posted on June 27, 2022, on the Old Farmer’s Almanac’s website www.almanac.com, “The term ‘Dog Days’ traditionally refers to a period of particularly hot and humid weather occurring during the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere.”
The article continued: “In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat!”
Whew! I think I can relate. With 100-plus-degree temperatures day after day and no rain, it’s enough to make anyone a little mad. I’m just thankful for central air conditioning, but I don’t even want to look at my utility bill.
Here in South Texas, we’ve only had a little over five inches of rain so far this year. Normally, by this time, we would have enjoyed 13 inches of rain, according to an article titled “Here’s a grim look at the 2022 drought in San Antonio” which was posted July 21, 2022, on www.kens5.com.
The author, Ryan Shoptaugh explains: “…unless more rain comes by the end of the year we could be observing one of the driest years on record.”
But, back to the Dog Days of Summer. When are they?
“Here at the Old Farmer’s Almanac, we consider the Dog Days to be the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11. This is soon after the Summer Solstice in late June, which also tends to be the beginning of the worst of summer’s heat,” according to the online Almanac article.
“This period of sweltering weather coincides with the year’s heliacal (meaning “at sunrise”) rising of Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is part of the constellation Canis Majoris—the “Greater Dog”—which is where Sirius gets its canine nickname, as well as its official name, Alpha Canis Majoris. Not including our own Sun, Sirius is the brightest star in the sky,” the article continued.
“In ancient Greece, Egypt, and Rome, it was believed that the dawn rising of Sirius in mid-to-late summer contributed to the extreme weather of the season. In other words, the “combined heat” of super-bright Sirius and our Sun was thought to be the cause of summer’s sweltering temperatures. The name “Sirius” even stems from Ancient Greek seírios, meaning “scorching.”
Scorching is right. Stay cool, everyone!