May gray will give way to June gloom over Memorial Day weekend

Southern California will see overcast skies and chilly temperatures this Memorial Day weekend, dashing hopes for sunshine during the unofficial start to summer, according to forecasters.

A persistent marine layer is hanging over the region, bringing below-average temperatures and overcast skies, the National Weather Service said. The clouds will linger over the weekend and into next week.

“The marine layer and those clouds are stretching all across the coasts and up into the coastal slopes,” meteorologist David Sweet with the National Weather Service office in Oxnard said Friday.

“There’s that saying about May gray,” Sweet said. “Well, that is going to transition into June gloom.”

Mornings will start off overcast through Sunday with temperatures in the mid- to upper 60s, according to forecasters. There could be a slight warming by the end of Sunday, but the cooler marine layer is expected to keeps temperatures low.

“There’s that 20% to 40% chance of a brief clearing, where the sun can shine through, but otherwise it’s going to be cloudy,” Sweet said.

It’s still uncertain how much the marine layer will extend into next week, according to the weather service. Afternoons should remain cool for the next few days, thanks to a cool onshore breeze.