The Juneuary solstice

This "ocean full of clouds" picture was posted on the Cliff Mass weather blog this week.  He said this is what June gloom looks like from outer space. The solstice is tomorrow but we are still in the murk.  Seattle is located at the most northern latitude of any major city in the U.S. (outside Alaska) so we should have 16 hours of daylight on June 20th. 

But the sun is trying its darnedest to burn through the clouds, making for some strange light.  Here's an observation from my brother Dave:

Reflecting on June gloom. If you woke up from a long sleep... looked outside and then checked the clock...  and it said anything between 4:30 to 9:30, you wouldn't know if it was AM or PM.  There's no sun for a frame of reference, just diffused daylight.

On the bright side, it does make for excellent flower photography at sunset.