Posted on 01/04/2009 1:59:33 PM PST by JohnJeykis
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - January 4, 2009 (SocalWeather.Org) Strong Santa Ana Winds are Becoming Likely by End Week into The Weekend.
ES1 released to the public on January 1, 2009. The outcome of the forecast was much different than December 2008. In fact the pattern indicated a Santa Ana Wind pattern.
The Southern California Weather Authority has released a forecast for Santa Ana Winds to return to the Southern California area as early as Friday. These winds could last into the weekend with gusts over hurricane force in some spots.
"We are starting to see the signs of the pattern coming to due to the Pacific ridge building to our West. "said Kevin Martin, of the Southern California Weather Authority. "Preliminary estimations are that sometime between January 9th and the 12th, the ridge would build in position off the Western United States, and in doing so could cause a Santa Ana Wind event for our region."
(Excerpt) Read more at socalweather.org ...
Bush’s fault.
I like wind, makes those big wind turbines CRANK......
Great, all the Fire Bugs will be out.....
Send some Santa Ana winds to central Minnesota! We could use a bit of snow melt.
Today’s high temp was in single digits AGAIN! Our total snowfall this season has been about 27 inches, but every inch is still on the ground. It’s truly so cold here that the sand, salt, and snow have become a soft mushy mix which is sort of oily feeling under your boots. Only one day above freezing since about Thanksgiving Day, and that was Dec. 26th with gloom and a faint mist in the air and temps about 35 degrees. Not much melting going on, but the snow depth shrunk a few inches. Most of the side roads are packed with about an inch of snow, and if we get rain, it will turn to solid ice.
I know this is all the fault of global warming. For this I’m supposed to purchase light bulbs with mercury in them which cost about 5 to 10 times the amount of incandescent bulbs. We would not want Minnesota to have any global warming, would we?
Yes, that was my first thought. The arsonists will be on the prowl.
I'll settle for the warm Santa Ana's in January...
Me too! If it was that cold.
True. At least there’s nothing left to burn in my neck of the woods. Lots of sandbags, but fortunately they don’t burn.
Is that typical or unusual for your neck of the woods? I had the doors and windows open today here in SC, the next couple of weeks it will probably drop to the teens then we can open the doors and windows again for a few days after that. Then it will snow.
This story, in the L.A. times (48 years ago) shows that they were commonly called "The Santana Winds" (paragraph heading "climate, 1/2 way down story) at that time. They lost their distinctive name when a local meteorologist began calling them....erroneously, the Santa Ana Winds. Prior to that some folks called them the Santa Anas out of ignorance but they soon took on this pronunciation.
Dr. George Fischbeck, a (meteorologist) T.V. weatherman from Albuquerque, was hired by a local Los Angeles T.V. station in the late 60's/early 70's and he became a popular fixture on the "Eye Witness News" presentation nightly throughout the Southland. He had a very 'folksy' manner about him, people loved it....and he began calling the Santana Winds the "Santee Annies" and it took about a generation....but folks started referring to them as "The Santa Anas". Now.....the whole world does!
People who lived here in Southern California will tell you.....growing up, they knew them by their correct name.....The Santana Winds. Any history book or educational materiel on Meteorolgy, written prior to the sixties, will verify the correct pronunciation.
I still call them the "SAHN-TA-NAH" winds and people look at me like I'm crazy! LOL
You’re welcome. Not too many folks are aware of this tidbit of history.
But here in Tulsa the weather is a bit strange too, had a BBQ yesterday and it was 74 at 4:00pm by 7:00pm it was 44 deg and falling
Being a long-time fan of guitarist Carlos Santana, I looked up the winds that you said share his name, and found support for your tidbit -- and in addition I offer this etymological tidbit, which claims that the name may also derive from "Satan-as", the winds of Satan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_Wind#Etymology
Of course, I know better than to cite Wikipedia as a primary source -- I'm only suggesting that -their- references may support such a derivation.
"Here come those Santa Ana winds again..."
-- Steely Dan, Babylon Sisters
Prior to the sixties very few folks called them Santa Ana Winds. Only some folks who were ill informed or ignorant of the correct pronunciation. This is similar to the way some folks will pronounce "Westminster Abby". They will innocently add a syllable and call it "Westminister Abby". Westminster is also a city here in Orange County and even some of its own residents call it erroneously.... Westminister (four syllables. This is what happened to the "Santana Winds". Since there was already a city in Orange County called Santa Ana it was natural for some folks....in their laziness to learn and haphazard in their pronunciation....to say "Santa Ana". It sounds similar.
The main problem with calling them after the city (or the river) of Santa Ana is that the Santana Winds are prevalent all the way up and down the coast of the Californias.....including Baja! You will experience this weather phenomena all the way from San Francisco in the north to Ensenada in the south.
Randolph Hearst once wrote about standing on his eastern balcony at San Simeon and feeling the warm Santana on his face. This mansion is closer to San Francisco than it is to Santa Ana.
The Spanish, "Vientos de Sanatanas" ('winds of Satan', Sanatanas being a rarer form of Satanás), the devil winds. I believe this is where the original name comes from. I remember all the older folks, when I was young, calling them "Santana". I remember very few people calling them Santa Ana, but when they did....usually they were new comers to the area and were quite often corrected by native Californians or folks who had lived here for a long time.
As I said in my first post....the name, Santa Ana, really did not catch on until Dr. George came to town and folks heard him nightly during the season calling them "The Santee Annies". He was quite respected, an educated man, but home spun in his philosophy, speech and mannerisms. Naturally many people began calling them....innocently, but incorrectly, The Santa Ana Winds.
Very interesting, thanks!
You are correct...I’m guilty of it too.
I personally like the Santanas in the fall and winter, and the warm dry air that accompanies them. However, it can suck for those in really fire prone areas.
Sounds like you had some nice weather in Tulsa!
I like Santa Ana Winds better than Santana Winds. California is already Northern Mexico as it is so no need for a mexican name.
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