June Gloom

June Gloom is a southern California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. June Gloom in southern California is caused by the marine layer effect common to the West Coast, and is enhanced by the Catalina eddy local to southern California. May and June together are usually the cloudiest months in coastal Southern California. June Gloom has other colloquial names if the same weather pattern occurs in May, July, or August. June Gloom is stronger in years associated with a La Niña, and weaker or nonexistent in years with an El Niño. This weather pattern occurs in other parts of the world where climates and conditions are similar. Scientists study the cloud fields that make up June Gloom to increase understanding of cloud behavior at the onset of drizzle and precipitation.