Not Quite Indian Summer! A Killing Frost Comes First.

If you like Indian Summer thank John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur. In 1778 he wrote about a period of smoke and mildness after the first frost and before the big snows of winter in Upstate New York.

The term may have originated because the last of the Indian raids came during this time. Soon snow would slow travel and raids were impossible.  This is also when Indians harvested squash and corn so it may have been how the term originated.

The true origin is likely lost in history but we all (at least all of us in the Eastern U.S.) know well what it means.

The weather this week will be warm and dry, much like  Indian Summer. But we have not had a widespread killing frost.  So while you will enjoy great weather this week it is not that traditional folklore favorite.

What is causing this warm, dry spell is a big ridge. A ridge is a northward bulge of the jet stream. the air in the ridge is sinking and it is warm. The ridge  over the central U.S. is headed our way.

The jet stream forms along the boundary between the cold polar air north of the jet stream and the warmer air to the south.  When the wind current bulges northward  the warm air to the south is surging northward. The entire bulge will move eastward and we will enjoy warm days, cool nights and plenty of sun into and through the weekend.