Why Are They Called The 'Dog Days' Of Summer?

A dog drinks from a fountain on July 17, 2010. (Flickr/bigbirdz)

The Weather Channel

This week, a stifling heat wave is taking hold of millions of Americans from the Great Lakes into the Ohio Valley and New England.

True, it’s July, and we expect hot temperatures; but as weather.com digital meteorologist Chris Dolce explains, this particular heat wave is pushing temperatures about 10 degrees above average, making for a very uncomfortable summer week.

Temperatures will finally give way when a cold front comes crashing through the stifling regions by the end of the week.

Even once the heat wave abates, we’ll still be left with typical sultry summer temps. In fact, the “dog days of summer” are just getting started.

If you thought that was a term your grandma made up, you’ll be surprised to learn the phrase dates back to ancient Rome. “Caniculares dies,” or days of the dogs, was what the Romans called the period from the first week of July to the second week of August.

Therefore, the dog days of summer only refer to the last part of the summer, not the whole season.

So that explains when and where the phrase comes from, but why dogs? The explanation is cool, especially if you like astronomy.

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