Santa Ana Winds

Extracted Attributes

• Type

  Katabatic winds

• Origin

  Cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin; inland desert regions of western US (Utah, Nevada)

• Humidity

  Brings lowest relative humidities of the year

• Wind Speed

  High

• Also Known As

  Devil winds, Red wind

• Other Impacts

  Power outages, downed trees and power lines, transportation hazards (e.g., for high-profile vehicles), infrastructure damage, choppy waves, hazardous boating conditions, reduced visibility on roads

• Primary Impact

  Create critical fire weather conditions, fuel destructive wildfires

• Primary Season

  Autumn (often bringing the year's hottest temperatures)

• Characteristics

  Strong, exceptionally dry, hot, gusty

• Affected Regions

  Coastal Southern California, northern Baja California

• Annual Frequency

  10 to 25 events

• Average Duration

  3 days

• Temperature Effect

  Compressionally-heated air, warms by nearly 10 °C per kilometer of elevation as they move through canyons and mountain passes

• Historical Presence

  Part of the Los Angeles Basin ecosystem for over 5,000 years, dating back to the earliest habitation by the Tongva and Tataviam peoples

• Typical Duration Range

  1 to 7 days

• Typical Occurrence Period

  Cooler months, September through May, peaking in December and January

• First English-language Records

  Mid-19th century

• Longest Recorded Event Duration

  14 days

• National Weather Service Definition

  A weather condition [in southern California] in which strong, hot, dust-bearing winds descend to the Pacific Coast around Los Angeles from inland desert regions

Timeline

• The longest recorded Santa Ana event occurred, lasting 14 days. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  1957-11-01

• The Palisades fire, fueled by Santa Ana Winds, began in Los Angeles. (Source: Related Documents (and external knowledge for date))

  2021-05-07

• The January 2025 Southern California wildfires began, driven by Santa Ana winds. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2025-01-06

• The January 2025 Southern California wildfires ended, having persisted for 24 days. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-01-31

Santa Ana winds

The Santa Ana winds, occasionally referred to as the devil winds, are strong, extremely dry katabatic winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin. Santa Ana winds are known for the hot, dry weather that they bring in autumn (often the hottest of the year), but they can also arise at other times of the year. They often bring the lowest relative humidities of the year to coastal Southern California, and "beautifully clear skies". These low humidities, combined with the warm, compressionally-heated air mass and high wind speeds, create critical fire weather conditions that fan destructive wildfires. Typically, about 10 to 25 Santa Ana wind events occur annually. A Santa Ana wind can blow from one to seven days, with an average wind event lasting three days. The longest recorded Santa Ana event was a 14-day wind in November 1957. Damage from high winds is most common along the Santa Ana River basin in Orange County, the Santa Clara River basin in Ventura and Los Angeles County, through Newhall Pass into the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles County, and through the Cajon Pass into San Bernardino County near San Bernardino, Fontana, and Chino. The Santa Ana Winds drive most wildfires in Southern California. Most recently, the winds are known as the force behind the January 2025 Southern California wildfires, having gone on and off for 24 days, starting on January 6th, 2025 and ending on January 31st.

Web Search Results

• Santa Ana winds - Wikipedia

  Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia ## Contents # Santa Ana winds The Santa Ana winds, occasionally referred to as the devil winds, are strong, extremely dry katabatic winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California. They originate from cool, dry high-pressure air masses in the Great Basin. [...] The Santa Anas are katabatic winds (Greek for "flowing downhill") arising in higher altitudes and blowing down towards sea level. The National Weather Service defines Santa Ana winds as "a weather condition [in southern California] in which strong, hot, dust-bearing winds descend to the Pacific Coast around Los Angeles from inland desert regions". [...] The Santa Ana winds and the accompanying raging wildfires have been a part of the ecosystem of the Los Angeles Basin for over 5,000 years, dating back to the earliest habitation of the region by the Tongva and Tataviam peoples. The Santa Ana winds have been recognized and reported in English-language records as a weather phenomenon in Southern California since at least the mid-nineteenth century. During the Mexican–American War, Commodore Robert Stockton reported that a "strange, dust-laden

• Santa Ana Winds, Explained | OpenSnow

  Santa Ana winds are a powerful and influential weather phenomenon in California that flows from the inland desert regions toward the coastal areas of Southern California. These winds can pose serious risks to communities in their path, including power outages, downed trees and power lines, transportation hazards, infrastructure damage, and increased wildfire danger. Understanding their characteristics and effects is crucial for effective preparation and response, particularly as climate change [...] High winds can complicate airplane takeoffs and landings, leading to flight delays and cancellations. Santa Ana winds often batter the north coast of Santa Catalina Island, including Avalon Cove and the island's airport. The winds can also create choppy waves, leading to hazardous boating conditions. They tend to make for choppy surf conditions in the Southern California Bight. Similar to roads, railways can be obstructed by fallen trees and debris. This can delay train services until the [...] The strong gusts of Santa Ana winds can make driving hazardous, particularly for high-profile vehicles like trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles. These winds can cause vehicles to swerve or tip over, leading to accidents and road closures. Blowing dust and debris can reduce visibility on highways and roads, increasing the risk of collisions.

• Santa Ana winds | Speed, Season, Direction, & Facts - Britannica

  Santa Ana winds are hot, dry, gusty winds that blow into southern California from inland deserts, descending down the leeward slopes of California’s Pacific Coast mountain ranges toward the Pacific Ocean. The winds bring spells of low humidity and warm weather, drying out vegetation, and cause widespread wind damage while exacerbating wildfires. ### When do Santa Ana winds typically occur? [...] Santa Ana winds originate in high-pressure areas over the deserts of western Utah and Nevada in the fall. The air flows out of high-pressure cells toward lower pressure areas near the Pacific Coast. The Santa Anas are katabatic winds that descend and warm by nearly 10 °C (50 °C) per each kilometer of elevation as they move through canyons and mountain passes. [...] Santa Ana winds, hot, dry, gusty winds that blow into southern California from inland deserts, descending down the leeward slopes of California’s Pacific Coast mountain ranges toward the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana winds bring spells of low humidity and warm weather to the region from early fall to early spring, peaking in December and January (see also foehn). High-speed Santa Anas are known for causing widespread damage and can quickly spark wildfires as they dry out chaparral and desert

• Mountain and Valley Winds - National Weather Service

  Santa Ana Winds occur when air from a region of high pressure over the dry, desert region of the southwestern U.S. flows westward towards low pressure located off the California coast. This creates dry winds that flow east to west through the mountain passages in Southern California. These winds are most common during the cooler months of the year, occurring from September through May. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm (or even hot) because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the [...] National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce NWS All NOAA Safety National Program # Mountain and Valley Winds Downslope Winds occur when warm/dry air descends rapidly down a mountain side. These are common on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, called Chinook Winds. These winds can blow over 40 mph, and can occur in sudden gusts that are even stronger, which can make driving hazardous. In addition, their dry conditions increase the risk of wildfires in the area. [...] mountain, it is compressed, which causes the temperature of the air to rise. These strong winds can cause major property damage. They also increase wildfire risk because of the dryness of the winds and the speed at which they can spread a flame across the landscape.

• What are Santa Ana winds and how are they fuelling LA wildfires?

  The weather set-up is key to the Santa Ana winds blowing. They occur when a large area of high pressure becomes established over the interior of western US, centred around the Great Basin, which includes much of Nevada and parts of Utah, Idaho and south-east Oregon. These are generally dry, desert areas, which means the winds that arrive in California are lacking in moisture. [...] These strong and gusty east or north-easterly winds blow from inland towards the coast. They can occur numerous times throughout the year and have been known to happen on over 20 occasions during some years. A Santa Ana event usually occurs during the cooler months, from late September to May and generally lasts just a couple of days, but on rare occasions can continue for up to a week. [...] No one is completely sure where the name originates from. It's most commonly thought that it stems from the Santa Ana canyon in Southern California's Orange County, however the winds affect more places than just one canyon. Other names for the Santa Ana winds include "devil wind" or "red wind". ## More on this story Thousands told to abandon homes as three wildfires rip through Los Angeles suburbs

• Instance Of

  Q482994