The "dog days of summer" are typically the hottest days of the year, and in Wisconsin, we are right in the thick of them.

Across Wisconsin, summer heat and sweltering temperatures usually settle into the state during July. Our hottest time of year, when average temperatures are in the low 80s, starts as early as late June in some Wisconsin cities and stretches into early August.

In Milwaukee, the average high temperature is 82 degrees for nearly a full month from July 6 all the way to Aug. 4. In La Crosse, a two-week stretch from July 7 through July 22 boasts an average high of a sizzling 86 degrees.

Although the summer solstice, where the sun is at its highest point over the northern hemisphere, occurs in late June, most places do not experience their hottest seasonal average temperatures until July.

The "dog days of summer," to which they are commonly referred, get their name from Sirius, the dog star, which is the brightest star in the sky. Ancient civilizations noted the star rising at dawn around the same time as the sun and associated its presence with the sweltering heat.

Over the years, the meaning of the phrase has been changed a bit and used more casually to reflect those hottest days of summer when you don't want to move.

The "dog days of summer" continue in most Wisconsin cities through late July before average temperatures drop in August.

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