Maloja Wind

The phenomenon is caused by wind from the Val Bregaglia crossing the Maloja Pass and intruding into the Engadin.

[2] The phenomenon is caused by wind from the Val Bregaglia crossing the valley's terminus at Maloja Pass and intruding into the adjoining Engadin.

The roughly 1 km-wide Maloja Pass creates a box canyon that blocks moist air from the southern Po Valley from entering the Engadin.

The cloud takes on a narrow and elongated form as it is shaped by the walls of the valley, which shear and rotate its flow.

In the film, "Maloja Snake" is additionally the title of a play by fictional Swiss playwright Wilhelm Melchior, which depicts a tumultuous romance between two women.