What are Santa Ana Winds?
The term "Santa Ana winds" is specifically used in meteorology. The Santa Ana and its geographical cousins often produce substantial warmth in coastal and lowland areas as the air warms tremendously while being compressed as it blows downhill from the mountains.
Autumn is usually the time of the year when Southern California is the driest. It is also the same time of year that Santa Ana winds are the most common. Any time the wind kicks up, there is a risk of spreading wildfires. Dry air often accompanies Santa Ana events and makes the fuel, such as dry brush, more ready to burn. Santa Ana winds bring a heightened threat of fire danger because their strong wind gusts can make little flames turn into raging infernos.
According to Expert Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, "The strongest Santa Ana events occur when winds align at the surface and aloft and that is the question with this event."
When the wind blows from the same direction aloft and at the surface, there is little resistance and the powerful gusts from the high levels can make their way down to the surface.
"Exactly where this storm develops will have a say in where and how well winds align, hence determining the severity of this event at the local level," Anderson said.
When high pressure builds over the interior West from the Pacific Ocean, the rising pressure sometimes occurs quickly. The rising pressure, in turn, creates strong winds, which gain speed blowing downhill from mountainsides and when channeled through the many canyons and passes in California and the Southwest.
In Southern California, the wind has the nationally known name, "Santa Ana." In the San Francisco area, it is known as the "Diablo wind."
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