latest news The gray of May will give way to the gloom of June over Memorial Day weekend

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

A persistent marine layer hangs over the region, bringing below average temperatures and overcast skies, the National Weather Service said. Clouds will persist over the weekend and into next week.

“The marine layer and these clouds are extending all the way down the coast and into the coastal slopes,” meteorologist David Sweet of the National Weather Service’s office in Oxnard said Friday.

“There’s this saying about May Grey,” Sweet said. “Well, that’s going to move on to the gloom of June.”

Mornings will start overcast through Sunday with temperatures in the mid to high 60s, forecasters say. There could be a slight warming by the end of Sunday, but the cooler marine layer should keep temperatures low.

“There’s a 20% to 40% chance of a brief clearing, where the sun may be shining, but otherwise it will be cloudy,” Sweet said.

It remains unclear how far the marine layer will expand through next week, according to the weather service. The afternoons should remain cool for the next few days, thanks to a cool land breeze.