Climate of the Alps

[1][2] As air rises from sea level to the upper regions of the atmosphere the temperature decreases.

The effect of mountain topography on prevailing winds is to force warm air from the lower region into an upper zone where it expands in volume at the cost of a proportionate loss of heat, often accompanied by the precipitation of moisture in the form of snow, rain or hail.

Because air cools as it rises, the climate of the Alps is strongly dependent on the elevation.

[3] Up to approximately 1,050 metres (3,440 ft) of elevation, the climate is classified as oceanic or Cfb under the Köppen system.

Between approximately 1,390 to 1,880 metres (4,560 to 6,170 ft), the climate becomes subarctic (Dfc under the Köppen system), with even shorter summers.