Mountain breeze
Also called: Mountain wind · Topic: Atmospheric Pressure, Winds and General Circulation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 9 "Atmospheric Circulation and Weather Systems"
Meaning
A mountain breeze is a night-time wind that blows down mountain slopes into the valley. At night the slopes lose heat quickly. The air touching them becomes cold and heavy, and gravity pulls it down into the valley floor. Cold air then collects in the valley under warmer air above. This is a temperature inversion, where temperature rises with height instead of falling. So valleys often get frost and fog on clear nights.
Example
On clear winter nights in the Kashmir Valley, cold air drains down the surrounding slopes. It collects on the valley floor and leads to frost and morning fog.
Don't confuse with
- Valley breeze: it is the daytime wind that blows up the slopes from the valley.
- Land breeze: it is also a night wind, but it blows from land to sea along coasts.