June Gloom is a California term for a weather pattern that results in cloudy, overcast skies with cool temperatures during the late spring and early summer. While it is most common in the month of June, it can occur in surrounding months, giving rise to other colloquialisms, such as "May Gray", "No-Sky July", and "Fogust". Low-altitude stratus clouds form over the cool water of the California Current, and spread overnight into the coastal regions of California. The overcast skies often are accompanied by fog and drizzle, though usually not rain. June Gloom usually clears up between mid-morning and early afternoon, depending on the strength of the marine layer, and gives way to sunny skies. May and June together are usually the cloudiest months in coastal California. June Gloom is stronger in years associated with a La Niña, and weaker or nonexistent in years with an El Niño. This weather pattern is relatively rare, and occurs only in a few 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 precipitation. Although the term June Gloom is used by Californians all along the coast, the content that follows is more specific to the weather patterns of southern California. Description A typical June Gloom morning consists of marine stratus clouds covering the coast of southern California, 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. By late morning to