A seasonal, dry offshore wind that blows from the interior deserts of the southwestern United States toward the Southern California coast, forming when high pressure over the Great Basin pushes air down through mountain passes and canyons, warming and drying further as it descends. Santa Ana events are strongly associated with Southern California's most destructive wildfires, since the wind's low humidity, high speed and downslope warming combine to rapidly dry vegetation and drive fire spread once a blaze has started.
Facts
PeriodicityAbout 10 to 25 Santa Ana wind events occur annually, each lasting one to seven days with an average of three days, mostly in autumn. 1 ScaleWinds commonly exceed 40 mph, with the strongest recorded gust reaching 97 mph at Whitaker Peak in December 2011. 1 First DescribedRecognized and reported in English-language records since at least the mid-nineteenth century, including an 1847 account by Commodore Robert Stockton of a dust-laden windstorm during the Mexican-American War. 1 Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceCombination of low humidity, warm compressionally heated air and high wind speed creates critical fire weather conditions. 1 Sources
1. Santa Ana winds, Wikipedia
Description section
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.
Historical impact section
a recorded maximum gust of 97 mph (156 km/h) at Whitaker Peak at an elevation of 4100 feet
Meteorology section
These low humidities, combined with the warm, compressionally heated air mass and high wind speeds, create critical fire weather conditions.
Historical impact section [first-described]
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.
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