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I remember reading a story somewhere that a Southerner wrote about one of his life experiences. He mentioned that in the region he lived there was a time of day that cooled off a large amount in less than ten minutes, and the effect was so remarkable that they had a word for it.

I'm writing something now, and am looking for that word and the region to which it applies. I searched for the article and could not find it. I searched for regional words relating to times of the day, and still could not find it. I have no idea where I would look for such a thing (I've never found it in any of the web sites claiming to have 'accurate' information on the Southern dialect). Does anybody know the word I am looking for, or an information source in which I might be able to find it?

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    Sundown evening
    – Kris
    Commented Feb 22, 2019 at 2:02
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    Thanks. I think I remember him using that word now. I couldn't find the article or region usage on a web search, but I guess usage of the word just isn't widespread enough to make it into any discussions about any of the Southern dialects. I reckon the regional usage is (or was) mostly limited to the hotter, drier areas of Texas, as the lack of moisture in the air would cause the heat to rapidly dissipate as the sun set.
    – dboggs95
    Commented Feb 23, 2019 at 19:50
  • There seems to be a general lack of information on Southern idioms in general. Trying to find the meaning of one is a commonly seen question on here.
    – Mike
    Commented Apr 24, 2019 at 22:43
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    I can't tell if the comment from @Kris satsfied this query or not. I'm from the Texas panhandle, but this didn't really ring any bells for me. I'll try to remember to run it by my parents. Your description made me think about the dry line, a regional (southern great plains and West Texas, mostly) meteorological phenomena created by the push-and-pull between moist gulf air and dry air inland. Here's an interesting article about it from a storm-chaser's perspective: stormtrack.org/library/forecast/dryline.htm
    – abathur
    Commented Apr 29, 2019 at 3:12
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    golden hour? I heard this being used with photography. It's a little time before the Sunset and the lighting will be perfect for taking photographs.
    – srand9
    Commented Jul 21, 2022 at 11:11

3 Answers 3

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I can tell you what happens in Arkansas, which can be similar to Texas.

The wide stretches of Arkansas prairie (west of the White River bottom (Des Arc, Hazen, Stuttgart, Arkansas)), when under a baking sun, does become hot as a frying pan. Creeks do spread through the prairie. The creeks are a low spot and will have big trees. They hold the shade and the cool temperatures.

When the sun starts to set, the temperatures quickly try to equalize and the cooler air rushes out. The same thing happens in the wide-open fields of the Mississippi delta, if you are near a broad tree line with a creek. The breeze will be so stiff that it will blow your hair, move your clothes and send you running after your hat. It is a sudden cool-off and the wind will moan around my Grandmother's house.

We call it 'The Evening Breeze'. Not sure that's what you are looking for.

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I am a native Texan. We just say "dusk" for the time of day that the temperature might drop significantly. Or "nightfall".

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https://ggweather.com/winds.html

Norther A cold strong northerly wind in the Southern Plains of the United States, especially in Texas, which results in a drastic drop in air temperatures. Also called a Blue Norther. (Glossary of Weather and Climate)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Norther_(weather)

A Blue Norther, also known as a Texas Norther, is a fast moving cold front marked by a rapid drop in temperature, strong winds, and dark blue or "black" skies. The cold front originates from the north, hence the "norther,", and can send temperatures plummeting by 20 or 30 degrees in merely minutes.

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    The OP is asking for a time of day, not an incident of cold front.
    – Arm the good guys in America
    Commented Nov 24, 2019 at 18:11
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    @green_ideas The most important feature of the OP's question is the remarkable fast cooling. I stand by the answer as a viable one until OP states otherwise. If nothing else, I found the discovery of the Blue Norther very interesting; perhaps others will as well.
    – tblue
    Commented Nov 24, 2019 at 22:48
  • E. Bagby Atwood, The Regional Vocabulary of Texas (192) has this item on norther: "North wind. The most dramatic weather phenomenon in Texas (aside from an occasional tornado) is the sudden, sharp wind from the north which can reduce temperatures many degrees in a few hours or even minutes. This is universally known as a norther, although many informants make such distinctions as blue norther, wet norther, and dry norther. Blue norther may imply rain (as does wet norther); however, it ordinarily means an unusually cold or severe norther, often accompanied by dark clouds."
    – Sven Yargs
    Commented Nov 14, 2020 at 4:49
  • I've felt it happen a few times and it's an outstanding sensation.. until it starts pouring cold rain in buckets. It doesn't happen every day, though, and certainly not at a consistent time.
    – Gerald
    Commented Jul 13, 2022 at 16:44

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