What are mountain and valley winds?

Study for the METRO (Meteorology) – VT-10 Test. Enhance your knowledge with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam today!

Multiple Choice

What are mountain and valley winds?

Mountain and valley winds are diurnal local circulations caused by the way terrain heats up and cools down. At night, the air over the mountains cools and becomes dense, draining downslope into the valley. That downslope flow is the drainage wind. During the day, solar heating lifts air along the mountain slopes (upslope wind) and the valley air tends to flow toward the slopes as part of the daytime circulation. The overall pattern reverses with the time of day, so valley-oriented flow that exists at night shifts to upslope flow during the day. This combination—drainage winds at night and upslope winds in the daytime—is what mountain and valley winds describe.

Mountain and valley winds are diurnal local circulations caused by the way terrain heats up and cools down. At night, the air over the mountains cools and becomes dense, draining downslope into the valley. That downslope flow is the drainage wind. During the day, solar heating lifts air along the mountain slopes (upslope wind) and the valley air tends to flow toward the slopes as part of the daytime circulation. The overall pattern reverses with the time of day, so valley-oriented flow that exists at night shifts to upslope flow during the day. This combination—drainage winds at night and upslope winds in the daytime—is what mountain and valley winds describe.

More practice questions