and "June Gloom" In contrast with the sunny summer, late spring in southern California is often overcast. This period, known to the locals as "May Gray" and "June Gloom", dims the coastal skies of sunny southern California. During this time, the coastal clouds may remain all day, but often give way to some hazy afternoon sunshine. The number of gloomy days during this period vary from year to year. Years with warmer ocean temperatures, influenced by the broader El Niño weather pattern, may result in fewer gray days in June, whereas the cooler ocean temperatures associated with a La Niña pattern, usually foretell more gray days in the season. Wildfires Because of the hot, dry and windy nature of southern California, wildfires are common. While most of them only affect small areas, wildfire can quickly get out of control and spread across large areas of woodland, particularly when fanned by the Santa Ana winds. Hot and extremely dry, they are also known as "Devil winds", and descend on the coastal region from the continental interior of the American West, increasing in temperature as they approach the ocean. Because natural wildfires are more likely to appear towards the end of long, dry summers, they have become a more serious problem in recent years because of climate change, which makes wildfires increasingly larger and more frequent. Climate change has also widened the wildfire "season" from a few summer months to virtually the entire year. At the same time, climate scientists are expecting that climate change will diminish the strength of the Santa Ana winds, potentially limiting its role in spreading wildfires. Physical geography Other than the Pacific Coast, the Transverse Ranges and the Peninsular Ranges are the two most important physical landscapes in the region. Both ranges have their particular characteristics, from the trend of the mountains, to the different climates within each range. Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges is a unique set of mountain ranges in California. They are the only mountain ranges that run west to east, as opposed to the rest of California’s ranges that run north to south. These mountain ranges run from Santa Barbara County into San Bernardino County. They derive the name Transverse Ranges due to their east-west orientation, making them transverse to the general north-south orientation of most of California's coastal mountain ranges. Climate The Transverse Ranges experience temperature differences from winter to summer of