Wisconsin going to the dogs as summer slams us worse than ever
The ‘Dog Days of Summer’ are here again. These are the days when you can’t find a time to mow the lawn without almost fainting from the heat. When you limit your kids’ swimming time to avoid sunstroke. When outdoor workers take extra precautions. Yes, these are the Dog Days of Summer.
Extremely hot, humid, and uncomfortable weather traditionally occurs in Wisconsin during July and August. On July 28, southern Wisconsin experienced a heat advisory due to temperatures reaching the mid-90s and heat indexes surpassing 100°F, potentially reaching 105°F in some areas. In June, Green Bay experienced a heat index of 108°F, with a record-high low temperature of 80°F.
In a PBS article, Steve Vavrus, director of the Wisconsin State Climatology Office, said, “The last two decades have been the warmest on record in Wisconsin, and the last decade was the wettest by far. Those are trends that we expect to continue.”
Wisconsin has warmed by approximately two degrees Fahrenheit since the 1950s, with winter temperatures increasing more than those of other seasons, resulting in milder and shorter winters, and potentially leading to a decline in snowfall.
Winter average temperatures in large swaths of northern and northwestern Wisconsin have warmed by about a degree more than the rest of the state and are likely to warm by about 6°F by 2060 compared to 1980. Meanwhile, southern and eastern parts of Wisconsin are expected to warm by five degrees Fahrenheit by 2060.
Wisconsin's all-time highest temperature record is 114°F, recorded in Wisconsin Dells on July 13, 1936.
The term ‘Dog Days of Summer’ actually has an astronomical origin, not directly related to actual dogs panting in the heat (though that's a common modern association). It comes from the Dog Star, Sirius, which is the brightest star in the night sky and part of the constellation Canis Major (the "Greater Dog").
In ancient times (Greek, Roman, and Egyptian civilizations), it was observed that during this period, Sirius rose and set with the sun. The ancients believed that the brilliance of Sirius, appearing so close to the sun, added to the sun's heat, causing the intense summer temperatures.
