santa ana

noun

1. a city in SW California.
2. a city in NW El Salvador.
3. Meteorology. (in southern California) a weather condition in which strong, hot, dust-bearing winds descend to the Pacific coast around Los Angeles from inland desert regions.
4. Santa Anna.

noun

1. (Spanish ˈsanta ˈana) a city in NW El Salvador: the second largest city in the country; coffee-processing industry. Pop: 172 000 (2005 est)
2. (ˈsæntə ˈænə) a city in SW California: commercial and processing centre of a rich agricultural region. Pop: 342 510 (2003 est)

1. A strong, dry, hot wind that blows from the desert regions of southern California toward the Pacific coast, usually in winter. The Santa Ana wind occurs when a region of high pressure forms over the Great Basin (the high plateau east of the Sierra mountains and west of the Rocky mountains). The clockwise rotation of air around this high-pressure region forces air down from the plateau. As it descends, the air warms up and picks up speed. Because the wind is hot and dry, it contributes to the hazardous fire conditions of southern California.