“June Gloom” and “May Grey” are caused by a Catalina Eddy. This phenomenon gets it’s name from Catalina Island, the Channel Island Closest to the L.A Basin. A Catalina Eddy can develop any time of year, but it is most prominent April to September and peaks in June, hence the term “June Gloom”.During these months, an upper-level northwesterly flow along the California coast is forced onshore by the Channel Islands. The flow is blocked by the mountains that surround the L.A. Basin, creating a counterclockwise rotation, with the center of the rotation over Catalina Island. In the evening when the temperatures drop, a marine layer (low clouds) forms. This marine layer usually lasts until early afternoon.
Here at A Journey With Wings we scatter cremated remains by airplane. Weather plays a big role in aviation, so this makes weather important to our scattering service. We want to make sure the family has the best possible experience. When scheduling a scattering service that is going to be witnessed by the family, it is important that we schedule it at a day and time when we expect good weather. Therefore, when we schedule witnessed scatterings this time of year (May, June, or early July) we recommend booking in the afternoon.