The "Dog Days of Summer" has come to mean the hottest days of the season,but there is more to the story.Long ago, it was believed that Sirius, the Dog Star, somehow caused the heat ofmidsummer.
In Ancient Rome, the "Dog Days" reached from late July to late August. At thattime, these dates corresponded to the days on which Sirius rose near the timeof sunrise, hence the name of "Dog Days".
Fast forward 2,000 years and the rising of the Dog Star happens earlier in Julyowing to a shift in the Earth's axis of rotation known as precession. The timeof the Dog Days, likewise, has shifted forward and now is accepted to stretchfrom early July into the first half of August.
By the latter measure, we are now a little beyond the middle of the "Dog Days,"so there is plenty of time left for more hot weather.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews
