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The leeward sides of mountains are often much drier than the windward sides?
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
This is caused by adiabatic cooling. Clouds rise and temperature drops and moisture condenses and falls on the windward side of the mountain. By the time they reach the other side (Lee) most of the moisture has already fallen.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
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Are rainshadow deserts often found on the windward sides of mountains in the middle latitudes?
No, rainshadow deserts are on the leeward side of mountains.
On what side of a mountain do deserts often form?
Deserts often form on the leeward side of a mountain.
Which side of mountains do deserts form?
Mountains force the humid air from the sea to rise where the moisture condenses and falls as rain on the windward side of the mountains. The air passes to the leeward side but now lacks moisture forming a rain shadow desert. See the diagram above.
How does mountain effect climate?
Mountains can affect the climate of nearby lands. Clouds approaching a mountain are forced to rise, and rising clouds can't hold so much water, so they drop their rain, so the windward side of a mountain range may be rainy and the leeward side may be a desert.Much of airborne moisture falls as rain on the windward side of mountains. This often means that the land on the other side of the mountain (the leeward side) gets far less rain - an effect called a "rain shadow" - which often produces a desert.The higher the mountain, the more pronounced the rain shadow effect is and the less likely rain will fall on the leeward side.(The Windward is the side of a mountain that is facing into the direction that the wind is coming from.The Leeward side is the wind protected side of a mountain.)
The leeward sides of mountains are typically dry and are often arid enough to be referred to as what?
The leeward sides of mountains are typically dry and are often arid enough to be referred to as rain shadow deserts. Rain shadow deserts are created when mountains block rain clouds.
What is rain shadow?
Often, the rain or snow falls on only one side of the mountain, the windward side. The other side of the mountain, the leeward side, which receives much less rain or snow. is said to be ' rain shadow'
What are the leeward sides of the Hawaiian islands often very?
Leeward is usually very dry
How do landforms and land masses affect precipitation?
Rain clouds are often forced to rise as winds blow them towards landforms like mountains. Clouds rising are unable to hold their water, so it falls as precipitation on the windward side of mountains.
Which side of a mountain range often has lush plant life?
The side of the mountain range that faces the wind often has lush plant life. This is because clouds pile up there and drop their moisture before crossing over the mountains, often evaporating as they do so.
Why some trees are bended to one side?
A tree may permanently lean due to the prevailing wind. A tree growing in a windy situation may also have bare branches on the prevailing windward side, and have leaves mainly on the leeward side. Trees growing on moorland, where the wind is unobstructed and is often very windy for long periods, often lean downwind and be stunted.
Why does it snow in Japan but not Northern California when both places are along the same parallel?
First of all, Japan is a pretty long country from north to south. The northernmost point is on the same parallel as BC, and nearly to the Yukon in Canada. I'm from BC Canada, and I can assure you that it snows here. California is also a fairly large place. You can see snow in places like Redding. Japan also has a mountainous landscape. Mountains create what is called a 'rain shadow' where clouds get caught in the mountains and dump plenty of precipitation on the windward (upwind) side, and almost none of the leeward (downwind) side of the mountains. Due to the high altitude, close to the mountain itself you often get snow, as opposed to rain.
What side of a mountain would often have lush plant life?
The windward side.
