…until after the first freeze of the season. Even then, temperatures have to top 70 – some sources say for a week or more – before a warm spell in autumn can be called Indian summer.
Other sources I’ve checked say it qualifies even if the 70s only last for a few days. Since the first freeze in the Wichita area doesn’t typically arrive until late October, it’s fair to say local folks often don’t experience an Indian summer until around Halloween or early November.
If we’re fortunate, an Indian summer settles in right around late October, so Trick-or-Treating tykes don’t have to be so bundled up against the cold it spoils their costumes.
Come to think of it, I can remember a few Halloweens as a child that you had to step inside and unbutton your coat to show off your costume. Not that we minded so much…after all, we were still getting candy.