It's a moniker frequently used for early summer weather in Metro Vancouver but locals generally aren't fans of it.
Metro Vancouver's June is often called "Juneuary" because it sees bouts of markedly cold temperatures and plentiful rainfall.
Spring weather often gets milder in May and locals enjoy the first stretches of sunshine. While meteorological summer kicks off on June 1, the month typically sees a mix of weather, including some plunging temperatures that feel somewhat closer to January's frigid lows (although it isn't possible to experience true Arctic fronts in the summer).
Environment Canada meteorologist Brian Proctor said El Niño's influence has impacted typical weather patterns in the Lower Mainland over the winter, producing drier than normal and milder conditions.
But the weather phenomenon's impact should start to wane into June, meaning locals should brace for typical "Juneuary" blues.
Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes "warmer than average" summer
May, June, and July are expected to be "warmer than average" in Metro Vancouver but June should still see some trademark rain.
Proctor noted that conditions only have to be slightly warmer or less wet to skew seasonal averages and June typically experiences more showery weather. While it might be slightly warmer and drier than usual, it doesn't mean locals will enjoy a month of bluebird skies.
"We need more precipitation. There's been a prolonged drought period and the snowpacks are down across much of the province," he said.
Proctor said meteorologists refer to June as the "cold low season" because it is marked with cool, showery periods.
"It's really the transition from spring into summer," he noted, adding that a "cold column of unstable air" drops down to B.C. from the Gulf of Alaska producing the unsettled weather.
This cooler air mass is replaced by a warmer weather pattern in July, marking an unofficial start to summer with fewer showers and climbing temperatures.
Environment Canada expects precipitation levels to return to near-normal amounts for the summer but a significant amount of rainfall is needed to replenish parched soil.
Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.'s Weatherhood.
