❓ why
Why do mountains create rain shadows on their leeward side?
ClimateMountains
Quick Answer
As moist air rises over a mountain, it cools, condenses, and drops rain on the windward side. The descending air on the far side is drier and warmer, so much less rain falls there.
The Full Story
This is called the orographic effect. Air forced up a mountain expands and cools, which reduces its capacity to hold moisture and often triggers clouds and precipitation. Once the air crosses the summit, it sinks and warms, making cloud formation harder. The result can be a wet, forested slope on one side and a dry steppe or desert on the other, as seen in places such as the Andes and the Sierra Nevada.
Key Facts
1.The windward side of a mountain is usually wetter than the leeward side
2.Orographic lifting can create persistent regional climate differences
3.The same process helps form many mountain snow belts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"How can one mountain make rain disappear on the other side?"