The Foëhn effect explained by Kelly Farina

The Foëhn cursed by pilots

The Foëhn effect is well known in alpine regions and mountainous areas of Europe, and explained in this video by Kelly Farina .

A travelling air mass blows perpendicular to a mountain range, hits the relief, and is forced to rise up and along the slope until it reaches saturation. It then condenses, forming clouds and bringing possible rain which falls on the warmer, dryer, leeward side, triggering large areas of turbulence. In these conditions, pilots refrain from flying.

The Foëhn effect becomes visible by the formation of orographic clouds holding water particles which condense on entering the front of the cloud and then evaporate on exiting. In this tutorial, Kelly Farina explains the run-up and the effects of the Foëhn in detail.

Kellly Farina is a course instructor and professional guide since 1995. Living in the Alps year round, he runs Austrian Arena, and organises tours and XC courses for pilots of all skill levels from the heart of the Austrian and Italian Alps,