California Winds and Fire Weather

Abstract

Wind plays an important role in transporting heat and moisture. It can also turn small embers into massive destructive fires. From gentle sea breezes to windstorms, California has them all. The combinations of land, sea, mountains, and valleys produce a myriad of different wind patterns. Yes, there is the summer calms when barely a leaf moves, but there are instances of hurricane strength gales overturning trucks, downing trees and power lines and spreading wildfires rapidly through populated towns. This chapter reviews the major wind types from land and sea breezes, mountain and valley winds, to katabatic downslope winds such as Santa Anas, Diablo winds and Santa Barbara sundowners. We describe the offshore Catalina Eddy as well as the desert haboobs, with their damaging sand and dust storms. Winds are important to aviation and glider flying. We show how winds affect urban air pollution cleansing coastal cities while fumigating inland valleys. Haboobs, strong winds that arise from thunderstorm downdrafts, are described. They can greatly lower visibility and carry dust thousands of feet upward in the air. But in the last few years, we see how winds, especially Santa Ana-like winds have caused increasing millions of burned acreage from wildfires.

Don’t mind the weather when the wind don’t blow.

—Uncle Joe, Buffy St. Marie