The warming and drying of air as it descends the leeward side of a mountain range after releasing much of its moisture as precipitation on the windward slope, known regionally as the foehn in the Alps and the chinook in the Rocky Mountains. The effect can raise temperatures by many degrees within hours and rapidly melt snow on the lee side of a range.
Facts
Process TypeAtmospheric Circulation 1 Connections
Sources
1. Foehn Wind Effect (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
A Foehn, or Föhn, is a type of dry, relatively warm downslope wind in the lee of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes.
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