Quite recently we had a lot of warm wind coming down the mountains here in Kandersteg. Enough for writing an EcoBlog about this special wind called “Föhn” (German for hairdryer) which can turn every winter wonderland into brown sadness within a few hours.
The föhn is very common in the Alpine
regions of Switzerland and Austria and is known for rapid temperature rise and
therefor disappearance of snow covers. The wind originates in Italy as a warm
south wind that blows over the Alps. While raising on the south side of the
mountain the air cools down, but as the wind comes down on the north side it
warms up again at twice the speed. On the accent the air also loses most of its
humidity which leaves a dry wind on the north side.
Effects
The föhn is said to also have effects on
humans. Physiological effects are headaches, dizziness and nausea. Many people
also tend to be restless or grumpy during föhn.
The föhn is also the reason for many
avalanches. On the mountain top it melts the top layer of the snow and night it
freezes over and creates a really slippery ice layer. After föhn winds there is
often a lot of snowfall. The fresh snow then rests on top of the ice layer
which is really similar to a two layered cake with frosting in the middle. The
top layer can then easily slide on the icy layer and cause big avalanches.
At KISC there is one rule connected to
Föhn: Guests are asked not to light a
fire in the fireplaces in the common rooms during föhn conditions.
The high winds of the Föhn force cold air
down the chimneys which hinders the smoke to escape to the outside. The smoke
then stays inside the rooms and this would set off the fire alarms in the
building.
So you can see föhn winds are a big part of
living in the Alps. If you have any more questions about föhn, just ask one of
the pinkies. We surely can tell some fun stories connected to this strong wind. J
Agnes (AT)
STS Winter 2014
