Sundowner Winds are a weather pattern unique to the Santa Barbara, California area. They are called sundowner winds because they often begin in the late afternoon or early evening. They are usually associated with a rapid rise in temperature and decrease in relative humidity. In the most extreme sundowner events, wind speeds can be of gale force and temperatures can rise above 100 Degrees Fahrenheit. The winds are thought to be responsible for a devastating fire in the hills of Montecito that destroyed dozens of homes on November 13, 2008. L.A.Times: Dangerous 'Sundowner' winds made Montecito... (November 14, 2008)
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Sundowners have been the cause of numerous devastating fires along Santa Barbara's mountainous east-west coastline
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The winds have caused significant property and agricultural damage and extreme fires, associated with many of the most destructive conflagrations that have occurred in the Santa Barbara area L.A.Times: Dangerous 'Sundowner' winds made Montecito... (November 14, 2008)
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Are so destructive because of the violent clash of hot air from the Santa Ynez Mountains and the cool air from the Pacific Ocean
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When the wind is funneled through the passes and coastal canyons, it can cause wind gusts of hurricane force
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Sundowners are similar to the Santa Ana Winds
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Both are formed by strong surface high pressure over the great basin however, this high pressure is much weaker but much closer to the Santa Barbara South Coast L.A.Times: Dangerous 'Sundowner' winds made Montecito... (November 14, 2008)
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Both have also caused many brush fires around Southern California
