One benefit of living on the lee side of a mountain – the side that is sheltered from the prevailing wind – is a micro-climate caused by the Foehn effect. Cold air pushed up one side of a mountain condenses and releases its moisture and then, as this air descends on the other side, it expands and warms. In Scotland the temperature can be 10C higher on one side of a mountain than the other and much drier.
Anywhere that has mountains will experience the Foehn effect, and the higher the mountains the greater the warming. In the Alps and North America, where mountain ranges are covered in glaciers and snow, this sudden rise in temperature can trigger avalanches, especially in the spring. The Foehn effect’s advantage, where there is a fairly consistent prevailing wind, is that farmers get an earlier and longer growing season on the lee side of the mountain range. The simple rule is that whichever way the wind is blowing from, it is going to be warmer on the other side of the hill.
As the climate crisis bites, an unfortunate consequence of the Foehn effect is bigger wildfires. Mountain dwellers are being warned that as warm dry air sweeps down the side of a mountain it will fan the flames, making a dangerous situation worse.
