Steve Ackerman and Jonathan Martin, professors in the UW-Madison department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, are guests ...

How do the Santa Ana winds form? The winds are created by high pressure over the Great Basin — a desert region that spans several states, including California, Nevada, Oregon and Utah.

To understand how the Santa Ana winds form, Mr. Hall said, imagine the Great Basin as “a big bowl,” topographically speaking, its sides lined with holes representing mountain passes.

Southern California is facing fierce fires fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which threaten homes and put firefighters to the ...

The mountain range creates a wind tunnel effect, accelerating the air to higher speeds. In some cases, gusts can reach 100 mph. Altogether, this strong, dry and warming wind can spread wildfires ...

The Santa Ana winds that spread the fires with lightning speed blew with ... It is famous for its rapid growth into a perfect ...

How do they form? Santa Anas are created by high pressure ... Humidity levels often plunge to single-digit percentages during a Santa Ana wind. The extreme lack of humidity in the air causes ...

So far, the strongest winds recorded during the fires were around 100 miles per hour, which is considered hurricane-force strength. The strong Santa Ana winds are still expected to remain throughout ...

While the cause of fires remains unknown, the severity and growth of these fires can be attributed to the weather, specifically, the Santa Ana winds. Typically, the winds in Southern California ...