June Gloom

June Gloom is a mainly

A typical June Gloom morning consists of marine stratus clouds covering the coast of southern California,^[2] extending a varying distance inland depending on the strength of the June Gloom effect that day. On a strong June Gloom day, the clouds and fog may cover the San Francisco Bay Area, penetrate far inland down valleys such as the Salinas Valley in central California, or extend into the Inland Empire of southern California. It's not uncommon for the layer to persist into the mid-afternoon or evening.

The clouds, which are formed by the marine layer, move in at night, usually after midnight, and typically dissipate in the late morning, giving way to clear, sunny skies. During a heavy June Gloom season, the condition may persist into the afternoon, or even all day during an exceptionally strong event. Often, the air is saturated with moisture, and fog also develops, along with frequent light mist and occasional drizzle. Fog and drizzle normally are found near the furthest inland extent of the gloom, where the cloud deck is closest to the ground.^[3]

By late morning to early afternoon, solar heating usually is sufficient to evaporate the clouds, and the sun emerges. The phenomenon forms earliest and lasts longest at the coast, with weaker effects as it moves further inland. When the marine layer is strong and deep, clouds can fill the Los Angeles Basin and spill over into the San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley, even extending into the Santa Clarita Valley and Inland Empire on exceptionally strong June Gloom mornings. If conditions are not as strong, the Basin may be filled while the valleys may be clear. It is not uncommon for motorists to drive over the Sepulveda Pass from the clear, sunny San Fernando Valley and plunge into a cloudy, fog-filled Los Angeles. On a weak June Gloom morning, the clouds and fog may only be present within a mile or two of the coastline, affecting only the beach cities.

Climate effects

A combination of atmospheric and oceanic conditions must be just right in order for June Gloom to form, and these conditions usually align only around May and June of each year.

June Gloom has been reported by some Californians to bring on symptoms consistent with seasonal affective disorder, although this is not well-supported by evidence.^[14] However, the normally-very-sunny Los Angeles climate also is home to people who thrive during the brief seasonal respite the gloom provides from the unending sunshine and clear skies.^[15]

In the early 20th century, this phenomenon was sometimes known as the high fog. A long June Gloom season, extending late into the summer, is known as Summer Bummer. The negative effects of a long June Gloom on the coastal California tourism industry is often reported in the local news media.^[14] The phenomenon can be especially disorienting to visitors from inland areas who, coming from the summer heat, would not expect cool temperatures and clouds and fog at the beach.

Formation

The low-altitude stratus clouds that make up the June Gloom cloud layer form over the nearby ocean, and are transported over the coastal areas by the region's prevailing westerly winds.

Once this marine layer has formed, the prevailing westerly winds advect the clouds over the coastal lands. The extent of inland advection is limited by southern California's coastal mountain ranges. The winds will continue to push the cloud layer onshore until they encounter mountains at or above the altitude of the clouds themselves, with the mountains then preventing any further inland progress of the marine layer. The foothill regions of these mountains experience some of the thickest fog and drizzle, as they are essentially in the clouds at this point.^[1]

The marine layer clouds of a June Gloom day usually are at their maximum at dawn, when the surface air is at a minimum temperature and the temperature difference in the inversion layer is at its maximum. The air beneath the inversion base being at its coolest also makes it likely that it will be saturated with a relative humidity of 100%.

A sea breeze, which is caused by the temperature and pressure difference between warm areas inland and the cool air over the ocean, often develops on warm summer days as well, increasing the on-shore flow pattern and maintaining a constant flow of marine stratus clouds onto the coastal areas.

A strong

Similar weather elsewhere in the world

While many parts of the world commonly have an offshore

Researchers have discovered that the cloud fields forming June Gloom and related phenomena from other west-coast marine-influenced climates are excellent places to find and study actinoform clouds.^[17] These clouds have been found to be present more often than expected in common stratocumulus layers. These clouds are persistent year-round off the coast, but are only drawn inland during June Gloom events and related phenomena elsewhere in the world. Observations suggest that when marine stratus is present alone, drizzle is minimized. However, scientists believe that the presence of actinoform clouds within the marine stratus is indicative of an increase in drizzle and the onset of precipitation. Observation and computer modeling have shown that the shape of the cloud fields actually rearrange themselves when the clouds start to rain.^[17]

See also

• Gloom
• Climate of Los Angeles
• Climate of San Diego
• Inversion (meteorology)
• Marine stratocumulus
• San Francisco fog

Notes