FOEHN Definition & Meaning

foehn

or ��ö��

[ feyn; German f��n ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a warm, dry wind descending a mountain, as on the north side of the Alps.

foehn

/ fɜːn; føːn /

noun

meteorol a variant spelling of ��ö��

foehn

/ f��n,fān /

A warm, dry, and often strong wind coming off the lee slopes of a mountain range, especially off the northern slopes of the Alps. A foehn is a katabatic wind that warms as it descends because it has dropped its moisture before crossing the mountain range and is put under greater atmospheric pressure as it moves downward. Various local names are also used for foehns (such as chinook in the Rocky Mountain regions). A foehn can cause sudden and dramatic increases in the temperature—from 10° to 20°C (50° to 68°F) in a few minutes—which can cause snow to melt rapidly and even trigger flooding.
See also chinook

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of foehn¹

1860–65; < German ��ö�� (originally in Alpine dialects), Middle High German foenne, Old High German ��ō�ԲԴ� < Vulgar Latin *�ڲ�ō�Ծ��ܲ�, for Latin �󲹱�ō�Ծ��ܲ� Favonius

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Diablo winds and Mono winds are also foehn winds, coming from the same direction.

From

The record high appears to be associated with a regional “foehn,” described as a rapid warming of air coming down a slope or mountain, Mr. Cerveny said.

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"The main cause for the record-breaking temperatures at this particular site was from a foehn wind," he says.

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In fact, foehn events tend to be strongest during the colder seasons, she added.

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Now, a strong foehn wind blowing eastwards off the ice shelf in early September has pushed the southerly end of the iceberg out into the Weddell Gyre.

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