We answer frequently asked questions about the weather surrounding the Southern California wildfires, what Texas has in common and how it differs.

As the South prepped for snow and more cold starting Wednesday, residents in Southern California faced off with hurricane-strength winds.

The relentless California wildfires continue to ravage the Los Angeles area, with the Palisades and Eaton fires scorching a combined 36,000 acres as of Saturday

The Santa Ana winds are dry, powerful winds that blow down the mountains toward the Southern California coast. The region sees about 10 Santa Ana wind events a year on average, typically occurring from fall into January. When conditions are dry, as they are right now, these winds can become a severe fire hazard.

So far, the strongest winds recorded during the fires were around 100 miles per hour, which is considered hurricane-force strength. The strong Santa Ana winds are still expected to remain throughout the week, which is not ideal for the ongoing fight to contain the fires.

Santa Ana winds are expected to pick back up, threatening the containment of Southern California wildfires. And, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reflects on his career.

Editor's note: An updated Los Angeles wind forecast has been issued for Thursday, January 9. The ferocious Santa Ana winds that helped fuel the deadly, out-of-control wildfires around Los Angeles are forecast to ease later Wednesday, but they may return ...

These particular gusts, known as Santa Ana winds, will affect much of coastal ... central and northern Texas eastward along the interstates 20 and 40 corridors of the south-central United States ...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday directed ... California fled their homes as the NWS said "life-threatening" Santa Ana winds slammed the area and fueled wildfires. By Tuesday afternoon, winds ...