They originate from cold, dry air masses at high pressure in the Great Basin. The Santa Ana winds are warm, dry winds that blow during the months of the cold season (October to March). They form when high pressure builds up over the Great Basin, the geographical area bordering the Rocky Mountains to the east and Sierra Nevada to the west, and when low pressure settles on the California coast. You hear about them during the sweltering summer months, when plant life dries up and the smallest spark can cause catastrophe.
When Los Angeles and surrounding areas are on high alert for potential wildfires, they have the potential to wreak havoc.
Santa Ana
winds blow in Southern California during the fall and winter months, usually October through February. October through January are the best months for Santa Ana's strong winds, but they can happen any time after August and before June. Santa Ana winds can blow violently over the southwestern slopes of coastal mountain ranges in the densely populated area.They are immigrant winds, born in the Great Basin, between the Sierra and the Rockies. From there, they fall on us, running out of narrow mountain passes that squeeze them in a torch mounted on a rocket. NWS All NOAA Santa Ana winds occur when air from a high-pressure region over the dry and desert region of the southwestern U.S. UU.
It flows west to the low pressure off the coast of California. This creates dry winds that flow from east to west through the mountainous passages of Southern California. These winds are most common during the coldest months of the year, and occur from September to May. Santa Ana winds generally feel warm (or even hot) because as fresh desert air moves up the mountainside, it compresses, causing the air temperature to rise.
These strong winds can cause significant damage to property. They also increase the risk of wildfires due to dry winds and the speed at which they can spread a flame across the landscape. Santa Ana winds are a natural phenomenon in Southern California that contributes to Orange County's fire ecology. Named after the Santa Ana Canyon of Southern California and an element of local legend and literature, the Santa Ana is a windy, dry and warm (often hot) wind that blows from the desert.
At night, the Santa Ana winds merge with the terrestrial breeze that blows from land to sea and strengthen because the inland desert cools more than the ocean due to differences in heat capacity and because there is no competing sea breeze. In strong Santa Ana conditions, these ports develop high waves and strong winds that can tear ships off their moorings and crash them into the coast. These passes include Paso de Soledad, Paso de Cajón, and Paso de San Gorgonio, all known to exaggerate Santa Anas as they are channeled. Winds tend to cause rough wave conditions in Southern California Bay and often hit the north coast of Santa Catalina Island, including Avalon Cove and the island's airport.
In The Return of Count Yorga (197), Santa Ana winds are associated with increased vampire activity. Although the origins of the name “Santa Ana” may be legendary, the damage caused by these winds is very real. However, most historical records show that the winds were called Santa Anas as early as the middle of the 19th century and other names appeared later. I get a lot of emails from people who insist that the winds of Santa Ana are actually the winds of Santana, and Santana supposedly represents the devil in Spanish or in an Indian language.
The winds are also mentioned in Ben Lee's single “Catch My Disease”, in the Steely Dan song “Babylon Sisters” (here come those Santa Ana winds again), in the Belinda Carlisle song “Summer Rain”, in the book White Oleander and the film of the same name, in the song by The Beach Boys Santa Ana Winds, in the song by The Bobs Santa Ana Woman, and in Randy Newman's song 'I Love L. The poor Chamber of Commerce; a couple of years later, and again six decades later, the meteorological office affirmed and reaffirmed that “Santa Ana was the sanctioned name. The name was even amplified in 1901, after a Christmas Eve windstorm caused such a disaster that an Associated Press reporter made it national news under the name “Winds of Santa Ana.”. There are many different versions that blow, as to why the winds are called Santa Ana.
An Orange County historian named Chris Jepsen discovered the nugget that in 1922, a Santa Ana man using the name Cotton Mather firmly argued that “Santana” was a Native American term for “windstorm.”. As the wind flows over the Sierra Nevada and Santa Ana mountains, it drops from a high elevation to sea level. . .
