Abstract
The present note discusses physical mechanisms which may contribute to cold air channelling close to the Alps. This involves the modification of the prefrontal air by the warm foehn air and of the postfrontal air by blocking effects resulting in an increase in precipitation. Additionally the influence of a sloping surface in the vicinity of the orography is considered. The problems are discussed in term of a north-south-oriented cold front behaving as an atmospheric gravity current propagating along the east-west oriented Alps.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Garratt, J. R.: 1986, ‘Boundary-Layer Effects on Cold Fronts at a Coastline’, Boundary-Layer Meteorol. 36, 101–105.
Garratt, J. R., Physick, W. L., Smith, R. K., and Troop, A. J.: 1985, ‘The Australian Summertime Cool Change II: Mesoscale Aspects’, Mon. Weather Rev. 113, 202–223.
Hoinka, K. P. and Rösler, F.: 1987, ‘The Surface Layer on the Leeside of the Alps During Foehn’, Met. Atmosph. Phys. (in press).
Kurz, M.: 1984, ‘About the Influence of Nondiabatic Processes on Frontogenesis Near the Ground’, in Int. Symp. on Nowcasting, 2nd, Norrkoping, Sweden, September, 3–7,1984, Nowcasting II: Mesoscale Observations and Very-Short-Range Forcasting: Proceedings, pp. 63–67.
Shapiro, M. A., Hampel, T., Rotzoll, D., and Mosher, F.: 1985, ‘The Frontal Hydraulic Head: A Micro-α Scale (−1 km) Triggering Mechanism for Mesoconvective Weather Systems’, Mon. Weather Rev. 113, 1166–1183.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hoinka, K.P. On the effect of a foehn on cold fronts in the vicinity of the Alps. Boundary-Layer Meteorol 40, 199–203 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140076
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00140076