The hot and humid weather that sometimes occurs at this time of the year is often called the “Dog Days of Summer”. The expression dates back to ancient Egyptian and classical Greek civilizations who believed the seasonal appearance of the brightest star, Sirius, brought additional heat to their daily weather.
The thinking behind this mythology is different now, but the expression lives on. This past week featured several warm and sunny days but cooler nights which resulted in easy sleeping, and paled in comparison to the temperatures of July. July was the warmest month on record for much of the Northwest region in about a century of instrument data collection. August can still feature very warm temperatures, especially during the first half of the month.
A ridge of high pressure will determine most weather features in the coming week for those fishing on the Okogi and Albany River systems. Mainly clear skies with some later afternoon cloud buildup are likely. Temperatures will reach 23 to 26º C(mid-70’s) during the afternoons but cool off overnight to around 10º C(50º C).
So, the “Dog days” of summer are in the past, but the dry conditions for at least the next week may raise some concerns about fires in those dry forests. Extra caution is advised when planning campfires.
Graham