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. The winds originate from cool, dry high-pressure airmasses in the
Great Basin. 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.