Why do mountains affect rainfall within a climate zone?

Answer 1

When warm moist winds blow inland from the ocean toward a coastal mountain range the winds are forced upward over the mountains as these warm winds rise the air cools and the moisture falls out as precipitation. This is called orographic precipitation, or orographically-enhanced precipitation.

On the other side of the mountain, the air descends and warms, drying it out as the precipitation ends. This side of the mountain can be markedly dryer, and is called the Rain Shadow.

Answer 2

it blocks winds from coming over plus it can block rain fall also mountains lead into river because of the snow run of from the top that can also effect climate because when the water from the river evaporates it has to come down as precipitation in that location or another

Answer 3

A rain shadow is a dry area on the mountains facing away from the direction of the wind. The mountains block the passage of rain producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them.

Answer 4

they create a rain-shadow effect. a rain-shadow effect is when a rain cloud goes onto one side of the mountain and is forced to go upwards. When the cloud goes upwards, the cloud looses all of its rain. when the cloud reaches the other side of the mountain, then there is no rain to fall onto that land, so there is usualy a desert like area, while the other side is green and has plant life. One example of this is the Himalayas. Another is on the western coast of the U.S.