Winds are usually named after where they blow from, but not in the case of L.A.s' fire-driving Santa Ana winds. Hence, my proposal for more informative names.
Yeah, I also thought it had something to do with Satan:
from Wikipedia:
"Supposedly, in their telling, the term Santa Ana wind derived from a Native American phrase for "big wind" or "devil wind" that was then altered by Californios into the form "Satanás" (meaning Satan), and then still later corrupted into "Santa Ana." However, an authority on local Native American languages claims this supposed Indigenous term, "Santana" or "sandana," never existed..."
I'd read this once in an old book about Cali, that it had to do with Satan, praise him.
Santa Ana city fathers (who were almost all real estate developers) tried for generations to disconnect their municipality from the destructive wind in the popular mind. I sympathize because the term Santa Ana wind is misleading about where the wind is usually coming from.
A nice thing about my proposed term "Death Valley wind" is that there are no real estate developers in Death Valley to complain.
These winds also occur on the coast of BC during what we call “Arctic outbreaks.” This happens when a mass of icy cold Arctic air comes south. These are dry cold high pressure systems. The wind blows from inland through the coastal mountain valleys, bringing cold clear weather to the coast.
From what I’ve read, the Santa Ana winds are the same: high pressure ridge inland with the wind rushing out through the valleys.
Growing up the Inland Empire, I was taught (probably on the playground) that they were called that because they came from the Santa Ana mountain range.
That was my assumption. And, indeed, sometimes they do come from the southeast. But the worst ones tend to come from the north.
And because most of the various mountain ranges in the Los Angeles are run east-west (although not the Santa Anas, which I believe run from northwest to southeast), it's real important to have a sense of whether you are north or south of a fire.
Winds like these occur in many places throughout the world. The official name for them are Fehn winds, which blow downslope from higher to lower elevations. As winds blow downslope to lower elevations, the air warms and dries out.
In Southern California, they are called Santa Ana winds because they blow down the Santa Ana River canyon. The name stuck and it is used for downslope winds anywhere in Southern California.
In Northern California, they are called Diablo winds because they blow off of Mount Diablo.
In Colorado, they are called Chinook winds and, typically, can occur during the Summer months.
Wikipedia has a discussion of the name. It looks at some alternate ideas.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds
Includes references: here’s one:
— can’t seem to enter the URL. But it’s at the Wikipedia link.
Yeah, I also thought it had something to do with Satan:
from Wikipedia:
"Supposedly, in their telling, the term Santa Ana wind derived from a Native American phrase for "big wind" or "devil wind" that was then altered by Californios into the form "Satanás" (meaning Satan), and then still later corrupted into "Santa Ana." However, an authority on local Native American languages claims this supposed Indigenous term, "Santana" or "sandana," never existed..."
I'd read this once in an old book about Cali, that it had to do with Satan, praise him.
Santa Ana city fathers (who were almost all real estate developers) tried for generations to disconnect their municipality from the destructive wind in the popular mind. I sympathize because the term Santa Ana wind is misleading about where the wind is usually coming from.
A nice thing about my proposed term "Death Valley wind" is that there are no real estate developers in Death Valley to complain.
These winds also occur on the coast of BC during what we call “Arctic outbreaks.” This happens when a mass of icy cold Arctic air comes south. These are dry cold high pressure systems. The wind blows from inland through the coastal mountain valleys, bringing cold clear weather to the coast.
From what I’ve read, the Santa Ana winds are the same: high pressure ridge inland with the wind rushing out through the valleys.
Yes! Can’t disparage the good name of Santa Ana, very underrated city.
Growing up the Inland Empire, I was taught (probably on the playground) that they were called that because they came from the Santa Ana mountain range.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Mountains
That was my assumption. And, indeed, sometimes they do come from the southeast. But the worst ones tend to come from the north.
And because most of the various mountain ranges in the Los Angeles are run east-west (although not the Santa Anas, which I believe run from northwest to southeast), it's real important to have a sense of whether you are north or south of a fire.
Well, if no SA Winds, then Steely Dan would have to change the lyrics to "Babylon Sisters." And that would be very bad.
Randy Newman call the Santa Anas a north wind. He's probably more precise about Los Angeles facts than most songwriters.
Winds like these occur in many places throughout the world. The official name for them are Fehn winds, which blow downslope from higher to lower elevations. As winds blow downslope to lower elevations, the air warms and dries out.
In Southern California, they are called Santa Ana winds because they blow down the Santa Ana River canyon. The name stuck and it is used for downslope winds anywhere in Southern California.
In Northern California, they are called Diablo winds because they blow off of Mount Diablo.
In Colorado, they are called Chinook winds and, typically, can occur during the Summer months.