A reprieve. It comes in late October, sometimes early November, but only after a frost.

They call it St. Martin's summer in Europe. Here, it's Indian summer.

The name dates from the 1700s. Some say it was when American Indians did their hunting or their harvest. The less generous say it was a "fools" summer, not to last. More far-fetched: that's when ships on the Indian Ocean could load up their cargo.

Whatever, enjoy it while it lasts.

Saturday's forecast calls for sun and a high in the 60s, compared with a normal high of 48 for the date.

Sunday might be in the upper 50s - in spite of clouds - but temperatures will drop through the week to normal, if not below, according to the National Weather Service.

William Deedler is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Detroit. In 1996, out of curiosity, he researched the history of the term.

Once or twice a year, he gets feedback on his article. It's come from Alaska, Canada, England, even Australia. The names differ, but the phenomenon is the same no matter the hemisphere.

Though some definitions say it must be 70 to be a true Indian summer, meteorologist Jeff Boyne doubts anyone will argue with a November weekend in the 60s.