Dry wind gusts that can produce watery eyes or runny noses, as well as occasionally be strong enough to stop traffic or topple trees, are experienced by Southern Californians every year between fall and spring.
The terrain of the western United States allows for the natural occurrence of the so-called Santa Ana winds. When coupled with other climatic factors, like dryness, they become much more dangerous since they raise the possibility of wildfires like the ones that are raging right now in the Los Angeles region.
This year’s gusts were more widespread than usual and occasionally approached hurricane strength. They combined with an unusually dry winter to provide the perfect environment for fires to spread. The Palisades and Eaton fires, which started on Tuesday, along with three minor fires that erupted on Wednesday, have burned around 37,000 acres.