LA's 'May Gray' heavier than previous years, experts say

LOS FELIZ, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Southern California is usually the envy of most of the country when it comes to the weather, but visitors this week might wonder what all the hype is about as Los Angeles' "May Gray" has stuck around.

From Los Angeles International Airport to La Canada Flintridge, downtown L.A. and beyond, everyone was seeing gray.

The marine layer that usually clings to the coast in May was hanging around the foothills. It's not the picture-perfect SoCal weather tourists viewing the Hollywood sign expected.

It's what meteorologists call "reverse clearing." The National Weather Service said there's an increase in the marine layer because of low pressure systems coming down from the North.

"We actually get a sea breeze because we are starting to pull cooler air toward the warmer inland areas, and that sea breeze pushes the clouds up against the foothills, the mountains, and then sometimes the coastal areas will clear out prior to those areas," said meteorologist Eric Boldt.

Boldt added it seems like this May is more gray than the previous two years because we have had cooler temperatures.

Some said to consider it nature's free air conditioning and a good time to enjoy the outdoors before the summer heat arrives.

While the marine layer does cloud the view of downtown L.A., people visiting from other cities said they would take this weather over their weather on any day in May.

"We don't know if it's spring or summer, so it's hard," said Genaro Cisneros of Joliet, Illinois. "This is good weather right now for us."