Santa Ana winds These winds originate over the Great Basin. As they travel downslope toward the Pacific Coast of California, they accelerate, warm, and dry out vegetation, increasing the risk of wildfire development and helping to spread existing wildfires. (more) Santa Ana winds meteorology Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/Santa-Ana-winds Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Fact Monster - Santa Ana Winds Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Santa Anas, devil winds Written by Roland Martin Roland Martin is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. Roland Martin, John P. Rafferty John P. Rafferty writes about Earth processes and the environment. He serves currently as the editor of Earth and life sciences, covering climatology, geology, zoology, and other topics that relate to... John P. Rafferty•All Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Jan 31, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Also called: Santa Anas or devil winds (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What are Santa Ana winds? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Santa Ana winds are hot, dry, gusty winds that blow into southern California from inland deserts, descending down the leeward slopes of Californiau2019s Pacific Coast mountain ranges toward the Pacific Ocean. The winds bring spells of low humidity and warm weather, drying out vegetation, and cause widespread wind damage while exacerbating wildfires." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " When do Santa Ana winds typically occur? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Santa Ana winds typically occur from early fall to early spring as high-pressure cells form above high-elevation deserts in the western United States. The winds may be present between September and May; however, they tend to peak in December and January, with winds that blow about 65 km (40 miles) per hour and gusts that range from about 95 to 160 km (60 to 100 miles) per hour." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " How do Santa Ana winds develop? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Santa Ana winds originate in high-pressure areas over the deserts of western Utah and Nevada in the fall. The air flows out of high-pressure cells toward lower pressure areas near the Pacific Coast. The Santa Anas are katabatic winds that descend and warm by nearly 10 u00B0C (50 u00B0C) per each kilometer of elevation as they move through canyons and mountain passes." } } ] } Top Questions What are Santa Ana winds? Santa Ana winds are hot, dry, gusty winds that blow into southern California from inland deserts, descending down the leeward slopes of California’s Pacific Coast mountain ranges toward the Pacific Ocean. The winds bring spells of low humidity and warm weather, drying out vegetation, and cause widespread wind damage while exacerbating wildfires.

　　When do Santa Ana winds typically occur? Santa Ana winds typically occur from early fall to early spring as high-pressure cells form above high-elevation deserts in the western United States. The winds may be present between September and May; however, they tend to peak in December and January, with winds that blow about 65 km (40 miles) per hour and gusts that range from about 95 to 160 km (60 to 100 miles) per hour.

　　How do Santa Ana winds develop? Santa Ana winds originate in high-pressure areas over the deserts of western Utah and Nevada in the fall. The air flows out of high-pressure cells toward lower pressure areas near the Pacific Coast. The Santa Anas are katabatic winds that descend and warm by nearly 10 °C (50 °C) per each kilometer of elevation as they move through canyons and mountain passes.

　　Santa Ana winds, hot, dry, gusty winds that blow into southern California from inland deserts, descending down the leeward slopes of California’s Pacific Coast mountain ranges toward the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Ana winds bring spells of low humidity and warm weather to the region from early fall to early spring, peaking in December and January (see also foehn). High-speed Santa Anas are known for causing widespread damage and can quickly spark wildfires as they dry out chaparral and desert vegetation. In literature and folklore, the winds are associated with an uneasiness and deep, sometimes homicidal, tension in southern California ...(100 of 444 words)

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