Question:
Hello, I really don’t have any knowledge on weather topics, etc. but I’m having a debate with a friend on why there are strong winds going on in SOCAL. I live in La Puente and my friend lives in East Los Angeles (15-20 miles distance). My friend believes the reason why there are strong / stronger winds is due to the huge fire occurring in coastal Pacific Palisades ( 40+ miles away from me aka La Puente, probably a 26 mile distance away from East Los Angeles) neighborhood of Los Angeles. She understands that yes there’s a windstorm occurring but the strong ( new ? ) winds are due to the fire. I believe it really has nothing to do with why it’s affecting all the cities in SOCAL like where I live, where she lives, and areas near by, I believe it’s all because of the windstorm:) that began before the fire.
Answer:
Santa Ana Winds Are More Influential Than the Fires Over A Large Area
Santa Ana Winds Setup
- In Southern California, it’s common in certain weather patterns (often high pressure over the Great Basin) for air to flow downhill and get funneled through mountain passes toward the coast. This air can be fairly dry and warm due to the rapid descent down higher terrain.
- These winds can be very gusty and affect a broad region—sometimes hundreds of square miles—from inland areas all the way to the coast.
Distance from the Fire
- You’re talking about 40+ miles between La Puente and Pacific Palisades, and around 26 miles from East Los Angeles to that same fire zone, I believe.
- Fire-driven winds typically occur immediately around or very close to the blaze. They don’t extend dozens of miles outward at the same intensity.
Timing
- You noted that the windstorm “began before the fire.” Fires often break out or spread quickly because these strong winds are already in place.
- It’s unlikely that a single fire started a whole new wind event that suddenly reached areas so far away.
Fire-Driven Winds vs. Regional Winds
- A very large, intense wildfire can create localized “fire whirls” or increase wind speeds right at the fire line by pulling in oxygen.
- However, these effects are mostly contained near the fire itself. Farther away, the broader wind pattern is still determined by regional pressure differences (high and low pressure systems).
