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Why are the Santa Ana winds nasty?

Why are the Santa Ana winds nasty?

The Santa Ana winds are a cool season wind that blows from the desert, raising dust, fanning fires and, according to popular literature at least, making people crazy and homicidal. Santa Anas are always dry, a result of subsidence from their place of origin over the higher elevation Great Basin of Nevada and Utah.

What is the average speed of the Santa Ana winds?

about 40 miles per hour
Every year, in late fall or early winter, the Santa Ana winds blow across Southern California. These hot, dry winds form over the deserts of southeastern California and blow westward across the state. Typically, the Santa Ana winds have average speeds of about 40 miles per hour.

Do the Santa Ana winds make people act weird?

As a result of the winds, people will also excrete large amounts of serotonin, “which is associated with the nervous system,” the professor said. “People become a little more, what shall I say, hyper . . . a little more tense, a little more irritable.

How strong are the Santa Ana winds?

40 miles per hour
The National Weather Service defines Santa Ana winds as “Strong down slope winds that blow through the mountain passes in southern California. These winds, which can easily exceed 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), are warm and dry and can severely exacerbate brush or forest fires, especially under drought conditions.”

How did Santa Ana winds get their name?

The best-accepted explanation for the name Santa Ana winds is that it is derived from the Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County, one of the many locations the winds blow intensely. Newspaper references to the name Santa Ana winds date as far back as 1882.

Why do Santa Ana winds cause headaches?

Whatever the name, the winds “contain an excess of positive ions,” Puzo said. “That effect, especially for younger people, tends to almost literally overcharge them with electrical energy. Their hair will have a tendency almost to stand on end. . . . They’ll develop migraine headaches, nausea.”

What does Santa Ana mean in Spanish?

0. votes. Santa: The word means “holy”. It is also Spanish for “saint” and would designate a women or nun who had been canonized by the Catholic church. Ana: Is a Spanish version of the name Annie.

Do Santa Ana winds bring dust?

The Santa Ana winds sweep down from the deserts and across coastal southern California, pushing dust and smoke from wildfires far out over the Pacific Ocean.

Which country is Santa Ana?

United States

Santa Ana, California
Country United States
State California
County Orange
Founded 1869

What does Santa mean in English?

Santa Claus
Santa is short for Santa Claus, or Spanish for a female saint. An example of Santa is the person to whom you might write a wish list for Christmas. An example of Santa is Santa Fe, meaning Saint Faith. noun.

Can Santa Ana winds make you sick?

The Santa Ana winds picked up over the past few of days in the East County and as a result some people have reported feeling sick, but doctors say there are things you can do to mitigate those symptoms during weather events, such as the Santa Ana’s.

How old is Santa Ana?

The city of Santa Ana was established in 1869 by William Spurgeon on 74.27 acres (300,600 m2) of land purchased from the old Spanish land grant, Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana.

Where do the Santa Ana winds come from?

Santa Ana winds are dry and warm winds from the Great Basin, an area that incorporates large parts of the states of Nevada and Utah. They start in the Basin’s inland deserts, east and north of Southern California, and flow downward, taking a turn toward the Pacific Ocean.

How many people died in the Santa Ana winds?

[Santa Ana winds] fanned the October 2007 wildfires that killed nine people, injured 85 others including 61 firefighters, and destroyed upward of 1,500 homes, scorching 2,000 [square kilometers] of land on the U.S. side of the border alone. The October 2003 [Santa Ana winds]-fanned wildfires were even more extensive.

Is it OK to live with Santa Ana winds?

To live with the Santa Ana is to accept, consciously or unconsciously, a deeply mechanistic view of human behavior. Whatever lies in store for the Santa Anas and all they wreak is still a matter for the future. But for now, the warm, dry winds continue to blow.

When was the strongest Santa Ana wind ever recorded?

In early December 2011, the Santa Ana winds were the strongest yet recorded. An atmospheric set-up occurred that allowed the towns of Pasadena and Altadena in the San Gabriel Valley to get whipped by sustained winds at 97 mph (156 km/h), and gusts up to 167 mph (269 km/h).

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Ruth Doyle