What does foehn mean?
A foehn is a warm, dry wind that blows down the leeward side of a mountain range, with the Alps giving the word its name and its most famous examples. The phenomenon occurs when moist air rises over a mountain, loses its moisture as rain or snow on the windward slopes, then sinks and compresses on the far side, warming noticeably in the process. A strong foehn can raise winter temperatures dramatically in a matter of hours, clear away cloud to leave strikingly blue skies, and accelerate the melting of snowpack. For people living in valleys below the Alps, the wind has long carried a reputation beyond mere weather, traditionally blamed for headaches, restlessness, and ill temper. Meteorologists refer to this drying-and-warming mechanism as the foehn effect, a term applied to similar winds worldwide.
nounA warm, dry wind that descends the leeward slope of a mountain range, most famously the Alps, becoming warmer and drier as it descends. It can rapidly raise temperatures and melt snow.
- A warm, dry downslope wind on the leeward side of a mountain range, especially the Alps.
"The foehn swept down from the Alps, stripping the valley of its morning frost within an hour."
"By midday the foehn had driven temperatures in Innsbruck up by fifteen degrees."
"Skiers know the foehn's arrival: sudden warmth, crystal-clear visibility, and snow that turns heavy by afternoon."
Regular pluralisation; rarely needed since the word usually denotes a single regional wind system.
"Successive foehns through February left the lower slopes almost bare."
In Alpine folklore, the foehn was blamed for headaches and irritability — so much so that courts once weighed 'foehn weather' as a factor affecting human behaviour.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of foehn
The word comes from German 'Föhn', which derives from Latin 'Favonius', the personified west wind of classical antiquity whose breezes heralded spring. The German form passed into English use among writers and scientists describing Alpine weather. The related adjective 'favonian' preserves the Latin root directly in English.
How foehn is actually used
The word is primarily used in European alpine contexts; North American equivalents such as the chinook are usually referred to by their local names instead. The spelling 'föhn' (with the German umlaut) also appears in English texts, and the anglicised spellings 'foehn' and 'fohn' are all accepted.
Easily confused with foehn
A fern is a flowerless plant with feathery fronds; foehn is a warm downslope wind — they share a similar sound but nothing else.