Junuary

English

Alternative forms

• Juneuary

Etymology

Blend of June +‎ January.

Proper noun

Junuary

1. (British Columbia, Northwestern US, humorous) A June with cool, rainy weather, typical of the Pacific Northwest climate. [since 1902]
   • 1902 June 30, “Current Topics”, in The Hamilton Spectator, volume LV, number 151, Hamilton, Ont., page 4, column 2:

     The Toronto Mail calls it “Juneuary” [so]uther.

   • 2000, Karen Stewart, "Weather you like it or not", North Island Gazette (Vancouver Island), 21 June 2000, page 9:

     While commiserating with a fellow North Islander the other day I heard a great word used to describe the wild and wooly weather we've been having: Juneuary.

   • 2012, Clare Adams, "Summer means outdoors", The Now (Coquitlam, BC), 25 July 2012, page A12:

     A year ago we went straight from "Junuary" into a similarly drenched July, but this year we've already hit the spray parks, the outdoor pools and had picnics at the park.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Junuary.
2. (Canada, US, humorous) An unseasonably warm and sunny January. [since 1888]
   • 1888 January 19, “Fair-Weather Waggery”, in The Cambria Daily Leader: The Pioneer of the Welsh Daily Press, number 5,111, Swansea, West Glamorgan, page [4], column 3:

     Said A., “Such weather, sir, as this / Proves that they’ve named the month amiss.” / “Just so,” said B.—the wretch, how dare he?— / “It should be known as June-uary!”

   • 1894 December 11, “Our Picayunes”, in The Daily Picayune, volume LVIII, number 320, New Orleans, La.: Nicholson & Co., page 4, column 1:

     A veteran gardener of this city, complaining of the warm weather, thinks next month will be called June-uary.

   • 2008, "Getting a chill from the Almanac", Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME), 28 August 2008, page A8:

     In 1995, the Almanac nailed a surprise January heat wave – christened "Juneuary" – in the Northeast.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:Junuary.