Do the Santa Ana winds affect people's moods?

According to many Californians, the Santa Ana winds put people on edge, much the same way that a full moon is said to. Reportedly some surgeons feel that blood doesn't clot as well during the Santa Anas, so they reschedule surgeries for after the winds have passed. Cops and emergency rooms prepare for a huge uptick in crime and car accidents, and people everywhere bicker at the drop of a hat.

The Santa Ana winds are strong, dry winds which pull air from the Mojave desert south to the Los Angeles area at high speeds. Because of their heat and high speed, Santa Ana winds are notorious for driving wildfires and causing widespread destruction.

Some people speculate that the mood effects of the Santa Anas are caused by the positive ions which the winds carry. Positive ions are said to make people cranky, whereas negative ions (like those released by thunderstorms and waterfalls) are said to make people calm and content. The main problem with this theory is that there isn't much science behind it. Positive ions don't stay that way for very long, and they certainly wouldn't be carried hundreds of miles in the wind.

Whether or not there's any science behind it, the Santa Anas have enshrined themselves in pop culture, usually as shorthand for an itchy sort of violent foreboding. Hard to argue with that!