Thick clouds are produced from marine layer in southern California.

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The kids are either on summer vacation or about to be if you live in Midwestern cities such as St. Louis, Minneapolis or Kansas City. The family decides it’s time to go on a memorable summer trip to meet Mickey Mouse. You start a checklist of which Disney destination to choose. Generally, the distance to either Disney location in Anaheim, CA or Orlando, FL is within the ballpark of being the same flying time. The transportation cost will generally be similar. The choice of which Disney theme park to visit this summer may actually come down to preferences in climate. Disneyland, in Anaheim California, has a Mediterranean type climate, which has the characteristics of a warm, dry, summer. Anaheim, tends to receive its precipitation from November to May, when the jet stream dips farther south in the United States. However, Anaheim, in June is susceptible to what Meteorologists call the “June Gloom,” where the morning skies are cloudy from the marine layer moving in off the Pacific Ocean. The marine layer in Southern California forms when stagnant air, from the subtropical high pressure system, is in the vicinity of the relatively cool to cold water of the Catalina Eddy. The cold water temperatures, generally in the low-mid 60s this time of year, influences the air temperature above the surface. The air becomes colder and denser and is waiting for the opportunity to move inland. During the day, the air over the interior land heats up and wants to rise. When the warm air over the land rises, the cooler air off the Pacific moves towards land bringing in with it clouds, fog, and cooler temperatures. This generally daily occurrence in early summer results is a weather forecast of a.m. clouds, p.m. sun from June into early July. Depending on the thickness of the marine layer, it generally disperses inland by the heating of the afternoon sun. June’s afternoon temperatures will rise to the upper 70s to near 80 degrees under Partly Cloudy skies.

Disneyland provides a great ride experience for children of all ages.

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The evenings, in Anaheim, has the process starting all over again where the cool, damp air off the Pacific brings in low clouds with very little liquid moisture. Monthly precipitation for June is only 0.16 inches.July averages only 0.05 inches of rainfall, and tends to be about 4-5 degrees warmer, with lows in the mid 60s and high temperatures in the low to mid 80s as the marine layer weakens with moderating (upper 60s) water temperatures. August tends to be the warmest month (average daily high of 87 degrees), as the water temperature reaches towards it zenith (of about 70 degrees-a little chilly for me) resulting in a weakening marine layer.

Disney World provides a lot of fun and scenic beauty.

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Disney World, located in Orlando Florida, has the characteristic of a humid, sub-tropical climate. June’s daily temperatures are morning lows of about 72 and a high temperature reaching 90 degrees with a good chance of a thunderstorm. Cold fronts rarely penetrate as far south as Orlando from June through September. The lifting mechanism for the afternoon thunderstorms may actually be generated by the sea breeze fronts from both Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. June is the wettest month for Orlando with an average of 7.60 inches of precipitation. Most of the rainfall is from the daily thunderstorms; however, occasionally a Tropical system plagues Orlando. July tends to be a degree warmer than June. Orlando experiences, on average, 19 days over 90 degrees in June and 25 days over 90 degrees in July. There is a benefit to the heat and humidity, water temperatures are higher. Cocoa Beach is only 54 miles away from Orlando, approximately 1 hour drive. Therefore, when the thunderstorms are raging in Orlando, generally in the late afternoon, you may be enjoying a nice dip in the low 80 degree waters of the Atlantic Ocean as the thunderstorms have already moved away from Cocoa Beach.

The choice of picking which Disney theme park to go to may depend on what you are looking for in a climate. If you like to sleep in and avoid the cloudy Anaheim mornings and warm waters are not on your checklist, Disneyland may be for you. The afternoons are perfect with Partly Cloudy skies and mild temperatures. Disney World, on the other hand, provides those who want to break up their day by going to the theme park early, taking a break from the afternoon heat and humidity by either shopping or going to the beach, only to return to Disney World for the evening fireworks.