foehn
FURN (German); FAYN (anglicized)
A warm, dry wind that occurs on the leeward side of a mountain range. As air rises on the windward side, it cools and drops its moisture as rain or snow. Cresting the ridge, the now-dry air descends on the other side, compressing and heating as it drops — arriving in the valley below warmer and drier than when it started. The foehn is the archetype; all similar winds worldwide are classified as "foehn-type."
Etymology
German, from the Latin favonius, the Roman name for the mild west wind. In the Alps, foehn winds are associated with headaches, irritability, and a general unsettling of mood — a reputation shared with the Santa Ana, the chinook, and the sirocco.
Notes
The Swiss valleys where foehn winds melt snow early are called "climatic oases."
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