a wintry/summery/autumnal day

[GeneD]

winter - a wintry day
summer - a summery day (?)
autumn - an autumnal day (?)
spring - ?

For example: It's a fine wintry day. (I'm not sure if it's correct to use fine and wintry together, though. If so, my sentence is particularly true: today it's freezingly cold and sunny at the same time here where I live. ) Is it possible to say this changing seasons, and (most importantly) are there words for the other seasons fitting in the context? For instance:
It's a hot summery day.
It's a sunny springly (?) day.
It's a drizzly autumnal day.

It's just come to mind that a summer/winter/etc. day might be more correct.

 

[GoesStation]

It's just come to mind that a summer/winter/etc. day might be more correct.

They are. The adjectives in -y and -al mean "having to do with" or "evoking the season".

His effort to catch her attention was greeted with nothing more than a wintry smile.

She was wearing a summery sun-dress.

 

[SoothingDave]

"Vernal" is the adjective used to describe spring-like things. But it is not a common word.

 

[GeneD]

I think I'm beginning to understand. Wintry, summery and autumnal are seem to be (often?) used as similes (following the pattern of the word spring-like, they could be: winter-like, summer-like, autumn-like). But their function may not be confined to similes, is it?

And there is one more thing I can't understand. If it is winter, there might not be obvious need for similes, and therefore a cold winter night would probably fit better than a cold wintry night, what do you think? I found a couple of examples in dictionaries (a cold wintry night, a dark wintry day), but it's still unclear to me if it could be winter or not in their context.

 

[GeneD]

I've heard the word vernal (I read something about vernal lakes somewhere), and it seems to be used in its literal sense. For instance, the vernal equinox. (The latter example I took from here.)

 

[emsr2d2]

In everyday English, it's only commonly used in "vernal equinox".

 

[GoesStation]

If it is winter, there might not be obvious need for similes, and therefore a cold winter night would probably fit better than a cold wintry night, what do you think?

You'd use wintry to emphasize the general aspect of the situation. You'd use winter to emphasize the particular night you're discussing, which was a cold one in winter. The latter is, I think, much more common.

 

[emsr2d2]

The possessive is also used there.

It was a cold winter's day.
It's a beautiful summer's day.

 

[GoesStation]

The possessive is also used there.

It was a cold winter's day.
It's a beautiful summer's day.

I never noticed before, but that's only possible with summer and winter.

 

[emsr2d2]

I never noticed before, but that's only possible with summer and winter.

That's a very good point! I'd never noticed either. :-D

 

[Skrej]

One common collocation is a 'wintry mix', which is used in weather forecasts to refer to a mixture of snow, sleet, rain, and other forms of cold weather precipitation.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

There's no such word as summerly, and no one (at least in the US) uses autumnal conversationally.

Winterize and summarize sound like opposites but aren't.

 

[GeneD]

There's no such word as summerly

I didn't understand at first why you mentioned "summerly". Now I see. It was post 5. Thanks. I'll fix it.

 

[GeneD]

It was another fine day today (sunny and freezy), and I recalled this discussion and realized that I'm still not sure whether I can call such day "wintry" or not. The thing is, in all the examples I've seen, "wintry" has a negative connotation. Is it ever used in a positive way?

 

[Tarheel]

Cold and windy. Rainy or snowy. Snow on the ground. Icy streets. Schools are closed! The last one some would see as a positive. I suppose those who are avid skiers look forward to winter. However, most of the things that make the season winter are not seen as positive.

There is a joke in Wyoming that in which one rancher talking to another says, "I hope summer comes on a weekend this year so I can go fishing."

 

[GoesStation]

Winter would be a much more likely adjective for positive descriptions. For example, It was a beautiful winter day, with hoarfrost decorating the trees and a deep layer of powdery snow blanketing the landscape.

 

[GeneD]

Schools are closed! The last one some would see as a positive.

Ha-ha! 100% true! In those rare cases when the schools were closed here in Belarus when I was a pupil, I was definitely happy that it was -30 degrees Celsius or so outside. And not only me, I think. :-D