Sierra Madre has warm, dry summers, and cool, wet winters (Mediterranean climate type). Annual precipitation is just under 18 inches, mostly falling between November and March. In fall months, a Southern California phenomenon called the Santa Ana winds can bring daytime temperatures into the 80s year round, and keep overnight lows above 60, even in winter. Winter, however, mostly consist of cool, rainy days followed by warm sunny ones. Frosts are not very common, with snow only being recorded 3 times. By May, Pacific storms no longer visit the region. In May and June, hot desert temperatures combined with cool ocean waters bring in low hanging clouds each morning called the Marine Layer. They dissipate by noon. These clouds make June the cloudiest month for Sierra Madre, even though it only receives an average .21" of rain in June. From July through October, hot temperatures grip the region, with September being the hottest month, unlike the rest of the nation. During this period, it rarely rains.