What are the dog days of summer? How does this relate to Washington?

Well, here we are in August, what some people call the dog days of summer but what does that really mean?  

According to mynorthwest.com,
‘Often called the “dog days” of August. This centuries-old phrase goes back to varied stories from the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans tied to the rise of Sirius, by far the brightest start that follows Orion into the night sky.’ 

So, we can get all wonky and look up into the sky and say Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, is very prominent in the sky in August. But what does that have to do with it being hotter? (not a lot really)  

Eastern Washington temperatures were averaging pretty high in the month of July, and they're going to stay that way in the month of August. 

Making things worse for us in Eastern Washington is the number of wildfires that are burning right now near our area and the continued risk of more in the next several weeks into September.

The coming weeks of August will continue to be hot.  

According to mynorthwest.com,
‘The latest weather outlook extending into the third week of August maintains the ongoing warmer-than-average temperatures, bolstering the sense of the dog days of August.’ 

As this kind of weather persists, there's a few things to remember, the first one is to stay hydrated, drink lots of water. It's important, trust me, you will feel better. 

2nd, if you must spend time outside, wear a hat and not just a baseball cap, something that gives you a little shade. You radiate a tremendous amount of heat from your head in the winter. To some degree the opposite of that is also true. Plus, if it's me out there, I don't want to sunburn my bald spot. (I hate it when that happens.) 

3rd if possible. Find some shade or air-conditioned locations, especially if you're older. Go to a movie if you can, two hours of air-conditioned comfort is a good thing. In the Wenatchee area, public libraries are designated as cool off locations. If the heat is taking its toll on you, visit the library, cool off and I don't know, maybe read something.  

My youngest son has adopted a dog named Ranger. For the most part, Ranger is an outdoor dog, so my son built him some shade and has a kiddy pool outdoors filled with water.  

Even ranger knows that when it's hot he can jump in the pool and cool off. 

Dog days of summer have arrived in Washington - MyNorthwest.com
Heat records shatter in Eastern Washington, including a possible all-time high for the state | The Seattle Times