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Foehn Winds

Definition

Foehn winds are warm, dry, and strong winds that form in the lee of mountains or major hills. The distinctive characteristics of foehn winds act in combination to exacerbate fire danger levels.

Introduction

Foehn winds can play a critical role in influencing fire weather in the lee of mountains or other significant topography. They form due to the foehn effect, which has been ascribed to a number of different mechanisms. Foehn winds are observed globally. The term “foehn” (or “föhn”) derives from winds in the lee of the European Alps, but numerous other names have been given to similar winds around the globe. For example, the Chinook and Santa Ana winds in North America, the bergwind of southern Africa, and the Canterbury Nor’wester in southern New Zealand are all analogues to the foehn. Foehn winds are notable in the context of fire weather because the warm, dry, and windy conditions they produce result in an increase in fire danger. Figure 1shows a wildfire burning under...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia

    Jason J. Sharples

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  1. Jason J. Sharples
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Correspondence to Jason J. Sharples .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. United States Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA

    Samuel L. Manzello

Section Editor information

  1. Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China

    Kuibin Zhou

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Sharples, J.J. (2018). Foehn Winds. In: Manzello, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_71-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_71-1

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