On April 30, 2014 we were in Orange, California just outside of Anaheim and LA. The Santa Ana winds kicked in at between 20 and 40 mph with gusts near 70. We were safe in an RV park and somewhat protected. We had no damage although the park had a few trees damaged and some signs destroyed. It is very unusual to get these winds in the spring. And even though we were safe, the RV was rocking back and forth as it was pushed by the wind.
Here is a copy of a description of the winds from Wikipedia;
The Santa Ana winds are strong, extremely dry down-slope winds that originate inland and affect coastal Southern California and northern Baja California.
Santa Ana winds blow mostly in autumn and winter, but can arise at
other times of the year also. They can range from hot to cold, depending
on the prevailing temperatures in the source regions—the Great Basin and upper Mojave Desert.
The winds are known especially for the hot dry weather (often the
hottest of the year) that they bring in the fall, and are infamous for
fanning regional wildfires. For these reasons, they are sometimes known
as the "devil winds" across Southern California.
Today, May 1 we will get them again but they should die down by late afternoon. The news and local residents were all talking about the Santa Anna wind and how unusual it was to happen in the spring. A cool experience I hope we don't have again!
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