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The Santa Anas are katabatic winds (Greek for "flowing downhill") arising in higher altitudes and blowing down towards sea level. [7] 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".
Sundowner, (strong offshore wind off the California coast) Washoe Zephyr (seasonal diurnal wind in parts of western Nevada) Williwaw (strong, violent wind occurring in the Strait of Magellan, the Aleutian Islands, and the coastal fjords of Southeast Alaska) Witch of November, or November Witch (strong winds blowing across the Great Lakes in autumn)
Prevailing winds are strongly influenced by Earth's overall atmospheric circulation, in addition to smaller-scale and shorter-lived weather phenomena. In meteorology, prevailing wind in a region of the Earth's surface is a surface wind that blows predominantly from a particular direction. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind ...
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. How did they get their name? A commonly accepted explanation is that the name is linked to Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County.
Those who have not experienced Santa Ana winds might not appreciate how strong they can be. In March 2024 after a cold storm coming from the Great Basin, the mountains near Santa Clarita recorded ...
Unlike the prevailing winds in Southern California, which flow generally from west to east, carrying temperate air from the Pacific, the Santa Anas flow from northeast to southwest out of the ...
The Santa Ana winds form in a western area of the country known as the Great Basin, which includes Nevada and part of Utah. The basin sits at a higher elevation than Southern California.
The prevailing westerly winds from the oceans also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher annual rainfall amounts than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well: moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of ...