The Meaning of the “Dog Days of Summer” in Montana

Weather can be pretty fickle in Montana, regardless of the time of the year.  And unless you are really, really into weather, you probably didn't realize that the official "Dog Days of Summer" have hit Big Sky Country.

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And as temperatures rise, it is inevitable that at some point we will hear that saying, but how many actually know what it means or where it comes from?  Spoiler alert, it doesn't have anything to do with man's best friend; instead, it's astronomy, the stars and Romans.

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The Meaning of the "Dog Days of Summer" in Montana

The traditional start date for the Dog Days of Summer begins on July 3rd, which might be why it flies under the radar with the nation's birthday on July 4th.  Especially this year as America celebrated the 250th anniversary of the country.

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That annual celebration aside, the time from July 3rd to August 11th are generally considered to be the hottest and the muggiest stretch of the entire year.  And they have been celebrated as the Dog Days of Summer since ancient Roman times.

The Dog Star and a Disproved Theory Make for a Century's Old Saying

As part of the constellation Canis Major, people have been looking at Sirius, the brightest star in sky for centuries.  Aptly named the Dog Star, it holds the key to why we have the Dog Days of Summer.

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Ancient Romans believed that as Sirius rose and set alongside the Sun during the height of summertime, the star added its own heat as well.  We now know that theory was incorrect, instead, we get summer heat from the tilt of the earth, not Sirius.  But the phrase that we all know today stuck.