Weather Tidbits: Santa Ana Winds

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing Santa Ana winds. These winds occur when air from a region of high pressure over the dry desert region of the southwestern US flows westward toward a low pressure located off the California coast. One typical spot is for high pressure to set up east of the sierra mountains. With the high pressure circulation, air pushes down the mountain and is compressed and warmed. The denser nature of dry air versus moist air accelerated the speed of the air down the mountain. The air funnels through the desert, which dries the air out further. The air then squeezes through the canyon, creating strong winds. These winds can then create hot and dry conditions which can increase the fire danger, especially if the vegetation is very dry as well.