Monday August 21, 2023
Los Angeles Times —
For as long as meteorologists can recall, California has been protected from the wrath of hurricanes by three robust natural defenders:
The first is a frigid ocean current that flows down the Pacific Coast, robbing storms of their strength-building tropical heat.
The second is a prevailing east-to-west wind pattern that serves to shoo angry storms out to sea before they can collide with the mainland.
And the third is atmospheric subsidence — a downward flow of air over California that squishes storms before they can form, and also contributes to the state’s moody marine layer.