Meanings
plural Santa Ana winds · alternative Santana wind · alternative Santa Ana
- A foehn occurring during certain weather conditions in Southern California coastal areas.
2001, This essay about the Santa Ana wind of southern California does more than leave us with an image, it creates deep within us a mood. — Theodore A. Rees Cheney, Writing Creative Nonfiction: Fiction Techniques for Crafting Great Nonfiction →ISBN p. 27
1 more example
2004, Coincidentally, Santa Barbara's modern record temperature of 115° also occurred on June 17, in 1917, and under the influence of a Santa Ana wind. — Christopher C Burt, Extreme Weather: A Guide and Record Book →ISBN p. 254
1968, A splintered tree stump on Euclid Avenue in Upland illustrates the effects of a Santa Ana wind in 1953—the worst ever to hit the area. — Automobile Club of Southern California, Westways (special issue), page 7
Origin
From Santa Ana, formerly a Spanish settlement in southern California + wind. But see also Santana wind.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Santa Ana wind. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Santa%20Ana%20wind
“Santa Ana wind.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Santa%20Ana%20wind. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Santa Ana wind,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Santa%20Ana%20wind.
Source: Santa Ana wind on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.