Santa Ana Winds affect fire season conditions  When fire season
rolls around in the late summer and early fall, meteorologists
begin talking about the Santa Ana Winds and how it can make
conditions even worse.  The Santa Ana winds are warm, dry winds
that sweep across southern California. These winds usually occur
between October and March, but they can also occur the rest of
the year.  For these winds to form, high pressure forms over the
Great Basin and low pressure forms over the Pacific Ocean near
southern California. This creates a pressure gradient causing
the air to be sucked from the mountains of southern California
into the ocean.  The air at the higher elevations is cool and
dry, but as the air comes down the mountain, it warms up. By the
time it reaches the valley and the coast, the air is
significantly warmer, and it's still just as dry, a combination
that only fuels wildfires.   Print this article Back to Top