Alpine föhn

The name föhn was originally used to refer to the south wind which blows during the winter months and brings thaw conditions to the northern side of the Alps.

Through the deeply incised Alpine passes, some of this relatively cool, trapped windward air reaches the north as a moderate föhn.

In Switzerland, on the other hand, the term "föhn" is used only if a clearly warm downslope wind is meant, which is caused by the additional heat of condensation (thermal energy) during periods of rainfall on the southern side of the Alps (northern side of the Alps when there is a north föhn).

Triggers are usually slow-moving or blocked Atlantic depressions in the area of the British Isles and North Sea, which move air radially at their outside edge, i.e. the cold front.

During inverse pressure conditions, on the southern side of the Alps, a north föhn arises, known in Italian as the tramontana or tedesco ("the German").