DEFINITION OF CHINOOK WINDS

A special type of Foehn winds that descend

the leeward slopes of mountains. The Chinook is a warm, dry

wind that descends along the eastern slope of the Rocky

Mountains from New Mexico into Canada, generally affecting

a several hundred-kilometer-wide belt in the mountains’

foothills and slope. Foehn winds can cause temperatures in the

affected area to rise rapidly, sometimes more than 36°F (20°C)

in a single hour, with a corresponding drop in humidity.

Chinooks form in the Rocky Mountain region when

strong westerly winds blow over a mountain and create a

trough of low pressure on the mountain’s east slope. This low

pressure forces air downslope, which becomes compressed

and warmed (by compressional heating) by about 50°F

(30°C) per kilometer as it descends.

Chinooks can be predicted when a wall-like bank of

clouds is observed forming over the Rockies. These clouds

remain stationary, but the winds coming out of the mountains

can be quite strong.

See also SANTA ANA WINDS.

chondrite See METEORITE.

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