# Is This "Indian Summer"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 6, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326 "2006-11-06T18:00:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/1 "2006-11-06T18:00:26Z")

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Here in Boston, we’ve just had two hard frosts (nighttime temp \< 25 f). However, this week, it is warming up! the southwesterly airflow is displacing the canadain high=ptessure system 9AKA the “Montreal Express”); and by Thursday, we should see highs in the 70’s! Is there any meteorological evidence for “Indian Summer”-did the native americans tell the colonists that they could anticipate a warm period (after the first frosts)?

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**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/2 "2006-11-06T18:22:29Z")

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It’s my understanding the the term "Indian summer’ comes from the old-fashioned equating of “Indian” with untrue (like in the term “Indian giver”). So an Indian summer is a false summer.

Although, when I Google, I see debate over this origin. This [cite](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordori.htm) supports it yet the National Weather Service [article](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/stories/i-summer.php) doesn’t mention it.

On second reading, did that actually answer your question? I’m sort of unclear what you’re actually asking.

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**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/3 "2006-11-06T19:07:15Z")

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In my opinion, Indian Summer happens in September and October. Right now, we’re in “bonus time”. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/4 "2006-11-07T06:00:07Z")

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While I don’t know about the etymology of the words, I recall from living in colder climes that Indian Summer happens in September or early October. What you’re getting right now is commonly referred to as “lucky”.

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**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/5 "2006-11-07T08:50:27Z")

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Here in Southern California, we get Indian Summer during Oct & Nov, but we don’t call it that. We call it “Fire Season”.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/6 "2006-11-07T16:36:29Z")

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Indian summer in September? That doesn’t make sense to me. September is still “offically” summer in the U.S., and often has plenty of hot weather that’s essentially a continuation of August.

My understanding of Indian summer is balmy weather that comes after some noticeably cool fall temperatures. Generally this would be in November (this might vary with locale), occasionally perhaps late October or early December. It feels summer-like in comparison to the colder weather that preceded it (and will certainly follow it). It doesn’t necessarily happen every year.

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**Author:** ![dhassan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dhassan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhassan)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/7 "2010-01-28T14:40:42Z")

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> [@tremorviolet](#):
>
> It’s my understanding the the term "Indian summer’ comes from the old-fashioned equating of “Indian” with untrue (like in the term “Indian giver”). So an Indian summer is a false summer.
> 
> Although, when I Google, I see debate over this origin. This [cite](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordori.htm) supports it yet the National Weather Service [article](http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/stories/i-summer.php) doesn’t mention it.
> 
> On second reading, did that actually answer your question? I’m sort of unclear what you’re actually asking.

When Cecil said “pernicious anemia,” he probably meant “pernicous amnesia?”

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/8 "2010-01-28T15:02:00Z")

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I had always thought Indian summer was any warm period after the first frost. That being said I never thought of using the term in January or February.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/9 "2010-01-28T15:05:50Z")

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A period of warm weather in January, is called the January thaw.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/10 "2010-01-28T15:12:44Z")

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Zombie summer?

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**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\
**Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-indian-summer/379326/11 "2010-01-28T15:50:48Z")

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\<mod\>

Lately we’ve had lots of RAAAAAAAAAINS! here…

Zombie. Closed.

\</mod\>