Sunny And Hot With Spectacular Coastal Sunsets
If you’re traveling in Los Angeles, flip on the local weather and hear the forecasters talking about offshore or Santa Ana winds and wonder that what means, well, keep reading.
The offshore winds – often called the “Santa Anas” – are ones that come not off the ocean, but in from the desert. And that means instead of cool breezes we get hot weather. Very hot.
At the beaches, there is no breeze and the air is still. It’s often 10 degrees above normal, which means during these times its around 85 degrees. And for Southern California beaches, that is hot.
If you’re inland, the conditions can be dangerous, for the winds are fierce. They often reach hurricane strength of 75 mph, knocking over trees and even trucks on the freeways.
At the beach, tho, it’s full sunshine. Not a cloud in the sky.
And the sunsets are more spectacular than even normal (which is saying something) because the winds push all the smog out over the ocean, and the colors add even more vibrancy to this evening spectacle.
The Santa Anas also bring another element to Los Angeles weather: it’s warm at night.
Normally, I advise people to always have a jacket or sweatshirt with them when traveling in L.A. The climate is a desert here which means it’s warm in the daytime and cool at night. In fact, if you’re not prepared, you may be freezing, especially at the beach and outdoor venues like the Hollywood Bowl.
But not to worry during these offshore winds. It’s warm at night. Florida warm. It’s rare when you can wear t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops in the evenings here and not worry about having a layer with you, but that’s certainly the case during the Santa Anas.
I’ll also warn you that if you’re along the coast, many places have no air conditioning. So there is little relief from the heat.
This, by the way, is a dry heat like, well, a desert. There is no humidity at all, so if you like it hot, you’ll love it in Los Angeles during the Santa Ana wind conditions.
There’s no way I can tell you when the offshore winds blow but they generally occur every 2-3 months. This always seems to happen around Thanksgiving – making this an ideal time to travel to Southern California – and a couple of times in the spring and fall.
Cheers!
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