Local Winds

GE5102 Climatic Variations and Change

Local Winds
Timothy Tan Xin Zhong M10505

Bora
The bora is a cold, dry and fierce katabatic wind that is
usually caused by the down-slope flow of cold dense air.
They are commonly found as southwesterly winds that
originate from Russia and flow rapidly down the coastal
mountain ranges onto the shores of the Adriatic Sea. This
wind is most common in winter and usually affects
countries in the Adriatic region and Balkan Peninsula such
as Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia and Croatia. Boras usually last for
a day or less, but occasionally go on for many days.
Periods of up to four or six days are not unusual.

Boras can be categorized into cyclonic and anti-cyclonic boras. Cyclonic boras are caused by
the presence of a low pressure cell, and bring with them very poor visibility, causing
problems for the people living there. They are also characterized by very cloudy, snowy and
rainy weather. Anti-cyclonic boras on the other hand, are caused by the presence of a high
pressure cell. They are characterized by cold clear weather and dry gusty winds.

Boras are usually dreaded and hated by the people of the Adriatic region, and for a very
good reason. They can reach up to 150 or even 200 km/hr, knocking people down and
overturning vehicles, making it dangerous for people, vehicles and boats in this region. In
autumn 2004, wind speed was recorded at an astounding 240 km/hr on Pag Island. They
also frequently affect road traffic and are often described as impetuous as they come
suddenly at random intervals, with sudden gusts that take everybody by surprise. This

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causes sailing in this region to be extremely dangerous. Boras also cause down-slope
windstorms, storm surges and stormy and squally weather.

In Novorossiysk, boras are so violent that airports cannot be built. The nearest airport is
located in Anapa 40 km away. The harbor is also closed for seventy days every year. In April
1997, boras created ten-foot waves at the pier that sank numerous ships.

Boras are also a key influence in Slovenia's Vipava Valley and Kras region, where extreme
boras often occur. Towns on the coast are built densely with narrow streets. Buildings in
several towns and villages also have stones on their roofs to prevent the roof tiles from
being blown off. Things are so bad in Trieste, Italy that chains and ropes have to be
stretched along the sidewalks to facilitate pedestrian traffic.

Chinook
Chinook winds are a type of Foehn wind found
in western North America and Canada,
particularly on the eastern side of the Rocky
Mountains. They are warm, strong, dry and
gusty down-slope winds that descend down
the lee side of mountains.

When air meets a mountain which acts like a

barrier, it is forced to rise up the windward
side. On the way upslope to higher altitudes,
the air becomes colder and saturates easily. Water vapor in the air then condenses to form
clouds, making the air dry. This process of condensation releases latent heat, warming the
air. The dry wind then reaches the mountaintop and flows down along the leeside of the
mountain. As it does so, it experiences adiabatic warming, which makes the air even warmer.
This air that descends down-slope constitutes the Chinook winds.

There are numerous ways in which the Chinook winds affect people and the environment.
They travel at high speeds reaching over 160 km/hr. Houses on the eastern slope of the
Rockies have sliding wooden shutters to protect windows from flying debris. Cars are often
sandblasted, buildings collapsed and trucks blown off the road. They also make mountains
difficult to ascend.

As the Chinook winds are warm, they often bring with them sudden and drastic
temperature fluctuations of 50°C or more in only minutes. In 1943, the town of Spearfish,
South Dakota experienced a 49°C rise in temperature in just 2 minutes. 90 minutes later, the
temperature dropped by 58°C in less than 30 minutes. On January 15, 1972, Loma, Montana

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experienced a 103°C rise in temperature in just 24 hours, from -54°C to 49°C. Such abrupt
temperature fluctuations often cause pneumonia and other ailments in humans and
shipping fever in cattle and livestock.

The Chinook winds are also very dry, with low humidity. They therefore have a desiccating
effect on vegetation. Plants in environments with Chinook winds must be very drought-
resistant. The Chinook winds also cause the rapid spread of wildfires. The air is occasionally
so dry that huge amounts of static energy are present in the air. Wire fences can become
electrified because of this, occasionally killing animals. The positive ions in the air also cause
many illnesses ranging from migraines to sleeplessness. People are also sometimes put in a
bad mood, causing a rise in the level of violence during episodes of these dry winds. A study
even found out that suicides and accidents increase by 10% during the occurrence of
Chinook winds.

Chinook is an American Indian word that means ‘snow eater’. As Chinook winds are both
low in humidity and warm, they melt and even sublime snow. A foot of snow may disappear
in just a few hours. This has both advantages and disadvantages – it occasionally causes
floods and avalanches but gives people a break from winter.

Local winds do have a significant impact on people and the environment, both positive and
negative. However, humans and organisms have learnt to live and coexist with such adverse
weathers, with adaptations such as window shutters, narrow streets and drought-resistance.

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