While in most parts of the country June is the beginning of the summer months, in LA the month of June is often cloudy, grey and dreary. Just like Kristen Stewart. The only different between the two is that I kind of like this weather. Read more in “What the hell is June Gloom?”

Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, June was always my favorite month of the year. The days are longer, the skies are clearer and the weather is warmer. I didn’t think that anything would change when I moved to Los Angeles but I was in for a surprise. Everyone kept telling me about a phenomenon called ‘June Gloom’ which I assumed had something to do with washed up child stars jumping off the Captiol Records building.

No, contrary to what your imagination may lead you to believe, June Gloom isn’t a phenomenon where people start killing themselves. June Gloom is a weather pattern that is caused by something called the “Marine Layer Effect” where marine stratus clouds move in over the city around midnight and then stay until noon the next day.

Don’t understand what all that means? Me neither.

This all happens because the cold water creates a situation where the air near the water’s surface is colder than the air above it, causing an inversion. Air is pushed downward by The Pacific High which is what causes cloud layers to move closer to the water’s surface and into the city. Never fear! After a few hours of sunshine, the warmer air mixes into the clouds and starts to break them up.

June isn’t the only month to fall victim to dreary weather. Other months can often be affected by the marine layer and they become known as May Gray, No-Sky July or Fogust. If anything, June Gloom is just one more reason to sleep in everyday until noon. As they say, “rise with the sun.”