Clockwise circulation around the center of this high pressure area forces air downslope from the high plateau. The air warms as it is compressed and dries out as it blows across the desert. Santa Ana winds usually blow between October and February with the most occurrences in December. That combination of high winds and dry conditions had California Department of Forestry firefighters on a higher state of alert, said CDF spokeswoman Joanne Evans. That means we have more equipment on stand-by than we normally would this time of year.
Additional equipment is on the way from Northern California.