It seems that almost any warm day in the fall is referred to as “Indian Summer”. But actually, that is not really true. There are some specific criteria for a true Indian summer, which must occur between November 11th and November 20th.
As well as being warm, the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.
A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect of causing the haze and a large swing in temperature between day and night.
The time of occurrence is important, the warm days must follow a spell of cold weather or a good hard front.
I bet you are wondering why it is called an Indian summer! Well, there are many theories. Some say it comes from the early Algonquian Native Americans, who believed that the condition was caused by a warm wind sent from the court of their southwestern god, Cautantowwit.
However, the most probably origin of the term goes back to the very early settlers in New England. Each year they would welcome the arrival of cold wintry weather in late October when they could leave their stockades unarmed. But then came a time when it would suddenly turn warm again, and the Native Americans would decide to have one more go at the setters. “Indian summer”, the settlers called it.
The end of Indian summer brings the beginning of winter and what will the winter be like, this year? Well, long before there was the National Weather Service, farmers looked to the sign of nature to be prepared for what’s to come. Longtime Cleveland weatherman, Dick Goddard, compiled a list of “signs of nature that can predict a harsh winter ahead: https://summitcountyfarmbureau.org/2019/10/20/natures-signs-of-winter%ef%bb%bf/
Information gathered from The Old Farmer’s