This article explores the phenomenon of Santa Ana winds, their formation, characteristics, and the significant role they play in fueling wildfires in Southern California. It delves into the science behind these dry, warm, and gusty winds, explaining how they originate from the Great Basin and accelerate as they pass through mountain ranges. The article also highlights the dangers posed by Santa Ana winds, emphasizing their ability to rapidly spread fires due to the extreme dryness they induce in vegetation.
FILE – Flags fly under heavy winds before sunset as a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rises over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. What are Santa Ana winds?
Santa Anas are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific into the region. Santa Anas are created by high pressure over the Great Basin — the vast desert interior of the West overlapping several states. The sinking air loses its moisture and flows in a clockwise direction toward Southern California, where it must get past towering mountain ranges that separate the desert from the metropolitan region lining the coast.
Humidity levels often plunge to single-digit percentages during a Santa Ana wind. The extreme lack of humidity in the air causes vegetation — living and dead — to significantly dry out and become susceptible to fire. The tremendous wind speeds can stoke any spark — from a fallen power line, for example — into a rapidly spreading conflagration. Santa Anas are linked to some of the worst wildfires Southern California has experienced.
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WILDFIRES SANTA ANA WINDS CALIFORNIA SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WEATHER PATTERNS
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