rain shadow
Mountain's dry side
A rain shadow is a dry area on the side of a mountain range that faces away from prevailing winds.
As moist air rises over mountains, it cools and releases precipitation on the windward side, leaving little moisture for the land beyond: The Mojave Desert lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada.
Atmospheric water deposit
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- moistureSmall amounts of liquid
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- evapotranspirationWater loss from land surfaces
updraft · cloud formation · atmospheric pressure · prevailing winds · trade winds · monsoon · front · jet stream
Devoid of water
- desertTo leave behind completely
- droughtProlonged water scarcity
- parchedExtremely dry or thirsty
- semiaridSomewhat dry climate
barren · desiccation · evaporation · xeric · sere · dusty · dehydration · scarcity
Sheltered from wind
- windwardFacing the wind
- mountain rangeSeries of connected peaks
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
- sierraSaw-toothed mountain range
ridge · plateau · escarpment · elevation · terrain · topography · moisture barrier · summit
precipitation
Atmospheric water deposit
- condensationVapor turning to liquid
- moistureSmall amounts of liquid
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
evapotranspiration · updraft · cloud formation · atmospheric pressure · prevailing winds · trade winds · monsoon · front · jet stream · cyclone
arid
Devoid of water
semiarid · barren · desiccation · evaporation · xeric · sere · dusty · dehydration · scarcity · infertile
leeward
Sheltered from wind
- windwardFacing the wind
- mountain rangeSeries of connected peaks
- cordilleraLinked mountain ranges
sierra · ridge · plateau · escarpment · elevation · terrain · topography · moisture barrier · summit · peak
- Mountain Climatehigh altitude, thin air, altitude, snowfall, temperature extremes
- hydrometeorologyprecipitation, snow, snowpack, streamflow, evaporation
- microclimatesfrost pocket, urban heat island, sun trap, lake effect, fog belt
- mountainsmountain, peaks, peak, summit, summits
- weatherweather, sun, snow, wind, cloud
- climateclimate change, climate, weather, global warming, temperature
rain, shadow, rainy, shadowy, raincoat, rains, raining, rainfall, overshadow