Definition

Noun: 1. A warm, dry wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains: A specific type of foehn wind, characterized by a rapid increase in temperature and decrease in humidity as it moves downslope, often causing sudden snowmelt.

Usage and Examples

• The sudden chinook wind melted the foot of snow in our yard within a day.
• Residents welcomed the chinook wind in January, as it brought a temporary break from the harsh winter cold.
• Meteorologists issued an advisory for strong chinook winds, warning of potential gusty conditions.

Advanced Usage

• The Chinook Arch: A related weather phenomenon often associated with the chinook wind. It is a band of stationary clouds over the mountains, with clear sky to the east, caused by the rising and cooling air ahead of the descending chinook wind.
  • We saw the distinctive Chinook Arch in the sky, a sign that warmer winds were coming.

Variants and Related Words

• Chinook (noun): Often used as a shortened, informal form of "chinook wind."
  • A chinook is blowing in from the mountains.
• Foehn wind (noun): The general meteorological term for a type of warm, dry downslope wind. A chinook wind is a specific type of foehn wind occurring in North America.

Synonyms

• Snow eater (informal, regional)
• Foehn (general term)

Notes on Different Meanings

• Chinook (capitalized) has several distinct meanings unrelated to wind:
  • A member of a Native American people originally from the northwestern United States.
  • The language spoken by the Chinook people.
  • A large North Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).
• The term "chinook wind" is specific to the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Similar winds in other parts of the world have different names (e.g., the in the Alps, the in Argentina).

Noun

1. a warm dry wind blowing down the eastern slopes of the Rockies