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In the previous article, we discussed the fierce and uncontrollable flames that struck the Yellowstone Area in 1988. One of the critical factors that contributed to the severity of the firestorms, ecologists said, was the fierce wind that whipped up in late summer. Another area in the US that suffers from wildfires quite often is Southern California. These areas also experience a dry season, magnified by a weather pattern called Santa Ana winds.
Several meteorological factors come together to form the hot, dry Santa Ana winds that stoke fires in Southern California. These winds are usually brought about by an area of high pressure that forms to the northeast of Southern California. These winds blow clockwise around areas of high pressure in the Northern Hemisphere, and conversely, winds on the southern side of the high pressure area blow from the east towards the Pacific Ocean, towards offshore areas of lower pressure. As a result, the easterly winds blow dry aire from over the deserts of California and the Southwest.