Southern California is battered annually by Santa Ana wind events, during which powerful, dry winds sweep across the region, affecting land and sea alike.The National Weather Service defines Santa Ana winds as strong downslope winds that funnel through mountain passes. These winds can easily exceed 40 mph, with isolated gusts reaching 70 mph or more in narrow canyons. Typically warm and extremely dry, Santa Ana winds can dramatically worsen brush and forest fires, particularly during drought conditions.Meteorologists with the NWS explain that Santa Ana winds develop when high pressure builds over the dry desert regions of the southwestern United States while lower pressure sits offshore along the California coast. Air flows from east to west, accelerating through mountain passes an
