One of the wonderful things about living in the Conejo Valley is the mild Mediterranean climate. However, when the Santa Ana winds come through, there is nothing mild about them.
In October, the air begins to cool in the Nevada deserts and blow over the mountains meeting the warmer air of the California coast. When this air flows through the valleys of Southern California, it begins to move faster, creating wind gusts up to 100mph.
Santa Ana wind season usually peaks in October but can exist periodically through the spring months. These winds can cause so much damage that they are nicknamed by some, "The Devil Winds."
This video from the Weather Channel explains the science of the Santa Ana winds.
Wind & Trees
Studies show that wind is needed for trees to grow. Wind encourages root growth and affects the size of leaves. In areas where strong wind occurs, trees tend to have deeper roots, wider trunks, and smaller leaves. Areas with less wind, tend to have taller trees and larger leaves. This explains why the Conejo Valley is home to grand and wide oak trees with incredible root systems.
Although the trees in this area are built to withstand hard winds, trouble begins when our trees do not receive enough water. During drought seasons, the tree branches and roots become weak, making them vulnerable to falling over during a wind storm. When wind advisories are in effect, please stay inside and be mindful of your surroundings.
Severe winds can cause damage in many ways. They carry dust and debris. They can also knock down trees. These winds can make driving dangerous as well. If there are high winds in the forecast or you see the icon above in the weather app, please make sure you stay indoors and take the following precautions:
To explore the differences between the wind traveling through the valley versus a wide open plain, you can try some races without the straw. The straw will demonstrate the wind moving through the mountain ranges. Blowing the cotton without the straw with demonstrate the wind blowing in wider areas without mountains. Wind is more powerful when traveling through a smaller area.
Wind Energy
Wind is created by the sun’s uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. The sun’s energy heats the air, causing it to rise. Heavier, colder air rushes in to take the place of the lighter, warmer air and creates wind.
Wind was one of the earliest forms of energy that people learned to use, moving sailboats through the water, and powering mills to grind grain. Farmers have been using wind energy for many years to pump water from wells.
Today, wind is also used to generate electricity. Large numbers of wind turbines are grouped together in “wind farms.” They are designed to catch the highspeed winds that blow throughout the year. These wind turbines look like enormous airplane propellers. When the blades spin, they turn a generator that makes electricity.
California has the largest number of wind farms in the United States. Other countries also are advancing in this field, including Germany, India, Denmark, and Spain.
Because the wind does not blow all the time, wind turbines are not able to continuously generate electricity. When they are turning, the wind turbines generate a lot of electricity—just three of California’s wind farms can power the entire city of San Francisco.
Wind turbines do not pollute, and can be placed near residences, workplaces, agriculture, and ranches. However, wind farms are expensive to install, noisy, hazardous to some birds, and take up a lot of land. Also, they can only be built in the few places that have the right wind conditions.
DIY Weather Vane
A hands-on lesson in meteorology can encourage thinking about taking measurements, collecting data, looking for patterns, and making predictions about the environment. A weather vane is an instrument that has been used to make these predications and observations for hundreds of years. Learn how to make your own weather vane and perform experiments using it from PBS here: https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/where-is-the-wind-going-try-a-diy-weather-vane
A fun little children's story about the wind is "The Wind Blew" by Pat Hutchins. A reading of this story can be found by clicking above.
ARE YOU AN EDUCATOR? If you would like this information in a format you can distribute to your class, let's chat! Email Christina at naturekidsactivities@gmail.com
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