OROGRAPHIC UPLIFT: Occurs when air is forced to rise and cool due to features such as hills or mountains. If the cooling is enough then water vapor will turn into clouds, and even more cooling can result in rain or snow. This means that there are often more clouds and rain or snow in higher regions.
ADIBATIC HEATING: Is a change in temperature due changes in the pressure of a gas while not adding or subtracting any heat. Adibatic heating occurs when the pressure of a gas is increased. It is common in convective currents in the atmosphere. As a mass of air descends in the atmosphere, such as when it moves downslope on a mountain range, the air encounters increasing pressure. Compression of this air mass means an increase in temperature.
CHINOOK WIND: Along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains the Chinook wind is a lovely warm breeze during the winter season. These winds are caused by most weather patterns coming from the Pacific coast, cooling as they climb the western slopes of the mountain and then quickly warming as they come down the eastern side. They often begin with a sudden change in the direction of the wind towards the west and in increase of the speed of the wind.
WINDWARD SIDE: The side of something such as a mountain or hill that is facing the wind. The direction the wind is blowing towards.
LEEWARD SIDE: The side of a hill or mountain that is sheltered from the wind. The direction in which the wind is blowing.
RAIN SHADOW: A dry area on the mountainside that is facing away from the direction of the wind. A mountain or hill blocks the passage of rain producing clouds causing a "shadow" or dryness to follow behind them. This occurs because as warm moist air rises to the top of a mountain it cool and rains on the top of the mountain. Then as the air comes back down it has lost all of its moisture and has no more to precipitate.
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