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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".
California wind resources. Wind power in California had initiative and early development during Governor Jerry Brown's first two terms in the late 1970s and early 1980s. [1] [2] The state's wind power capacity has grown by nearly 350% since 2001, when it was less than 1,700 MW.
Recently, the wind speeds were re-examined and adjusted to a maximum official wind speed of 321 mph (516.6 km/h). [ 312 ] A DOW calculation of a subvortice of the 2013 El Reno tornado was estimated in a range of 257–336 mph (414–541 km/h) in 2024.
Hurricanes that affect California are mainly the remnants of hurricanes or tropical storms. In the twentieth century, only four eastern Pacific tropical cyclones have brought tropical storm-force winds to the Continental United States: the 1939 Long Beach Tropical Storm, Tropical Storm Joanne in 1972, Tropical Storm Kathleen in 1976, and Tropical Storm Nora in 1997.
The state's wind power capacity has grown by nearly 350% since 2001, when it was less than 1,700 MW. In 2016, wind energy (including that supplied by other states) supplied about 6.9% of California's total electricity needs, or enough to power more than 1.3 million households.
A strong Santa Ana wind event is setting up across Southern California. A rare Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) alert has been issued for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Development of the wind farm began in the 1980s. [2] It is one of the first three major wind farm areas in California, along with those at Altamont and the Tehachapi passes. As of May 2024, the wind farm consists of 666 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 628 MW, built as part of 26 projects. [3]
The climate of California varies widely from hot desert to alpine tundra, depending on latitude, elevation, and proximity to the Pacific Coast. California 's coastal regions, the Sierra Nevada foothills, and much of the Central Valley have a Mediterranean climate , with warmer, drier weather in summer and cooler, wetter weather in winter.