Summer Gloom Comes and Goes Along Coast

For beach city residents, overcast skies have become a regular staple of early summer. But after weeks of "May Gray" and "June Gloom," the sun made its return Thursday.

The main culprit behind months of dreariness before summer hits Southern California's beach cities is a combination of atmospheric conditions and geography, according to meteorologist Adam Wright, based in north Orange county.

"The Southern California coastline tracks back to the southeast just south of Point Conception (which extends into the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara)," he said.  "Additionally, the string of mountain ranges located within the local geography work to pin in the coastal areas." 

This basically traps clouds along the coast, creating dreary conditions in the South Bay. "Northwest winds that blow along the central California coast are the main 'engine,'" Wright continued, explaining the vehicle that drives these conditions to local areas. 

A few more factors form gloom, Wright added: "As the strong Northwest winds push past the mountains, a vacuum starts to form on the leeward side of the range and eventually it becomes a small, but noticeable area of low pressure… it pulls in the surrounding air mass and forces it to rise rapidly, which in turn makes the air mass cool off… as the air cools, it loses its ability to hold water and (this causes) overcast skies and sometimes rain."

Alas, June Gloom is the result. But, according to Wright, since the sun arrived Thursday with temperatures steady in the 80s, summer is here to stay. Problem solved.