We're seeing the ideal set up for Santa Ana winds (and Diablo Winds, and Mono Winds) today across California. Starting late last night a surge of cold air associated with a digging upper level trough slid down the east side of the Sierra Nevada and is now surging to the SW across southern California.
Some of cold air gets block by the high Sierra, apparent as an extremely tight temperature gradient spanning the mountains, but south the the Sierra the air can expand across the Mojave, and then run down through the gaps into the LA basin. This coupled with the strong upper level winds drives so very strong gap flows, and in places mountain waves as well.
The onset of the strong winds in and around LA has a clear signature: Rapid drying accompanied by consistently strong winds with an easterly component:
The cold air is spilling across the Sierra Crest near Tahoe, where the ridges are a bit lower, and producing some impressive ridge top winds. Maybe not the nicest day at the top of Squaw!
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