The ferocious Santa Ana winds that helped fuel the deadly wildfires around Los Angeles are forecast to ease later Wednesday, but they may return.

Santa Ana winds occur when air flows west from a region of high pressure over the dry Great Basin to lower pressure off the California coast, According to Accuweather. As that cool interior air flows over and through mountain passes, it accelerates, sinks and compresses.

Despite dangerous wind conditions, fire crews made quick work of a brush fire near the Griffith Observatory. The extreme winds are posing another serious threat of wildfires across Southern California.

The devastating fires across Southern California are being driven by the Santa Ana winds, as incredibly dry and windy conditions continue to heighten the fire danger

Jon Keeley, a research ecologist in California with the U.S. Geological Survey and adjunct professor at UCLA, explains what causes extreme winds like this in Southern California, and why they create such a dangerous fire risk.

The nature of the Santa Ana winds makes them perfectly suited to fueling blazes like the Palisades Fire, and climate change is increasing the risk

Katabatic winds? Adiabatic compression? Time for a thermodynamics lesson! The record lack of rain has also made this Santa Ana event different.

With the Palisades and Eaton Fires still not fully contained, another dangerous Santa Ana wind event is forecast in Los Angeles for Monday-Thursday.

Forecasters in Southern California expect to issue a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for the coming week as the Santa Ana wind forecast worsens.

Santa Ana occurs during the cooler months between September and May. Southern California ... Santa Ana winds pushed the fire south, where it went into the Santa Monica Mountains.

"Gusts approaching 100 mph were recorded above 2,000 feet in the Santa Monica ... deserts of California and the Southwest, according to the National Weather Service. Santa Ana winds occur when ...