Weather Words: Chinook Winds

Regional winds all over the world are given different names. Santa Ana winds across the West, and Europe has Sirocco winds. Portions of the Plains experience their own local winds: Chinook winds.

Chinook winds are strong, warm and dry winds that blow down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. They occur when moist air is forced up and over the mountains, cooling as it rises and losing moisture along the way. The now-heavier air crests the mountains and descends on the leeward side; it compresses and warms rapidly, sometimes causing temperatures to rise dramatically in a very short period of time.

These winds are best known for their ability to bring sudden warmups in the middle of winter. In places like Montana, Wyoming, and southern Alberta, Chinook winds can cause temperatures to jump dozens of degrees in just a few hours, melting snow, breaking up ice, and dramatically changing conditions on the ground.

The name comes from the Chinook people, a Native American tribe who lived in the Pacific Northwest, as well as from the Chinook jargon, a trade language once widely used in the region. Early settlers and traders adopted the term to describe these warm winds, which were associated with a welcome break from winter cold. They were sometimes referred to as "ice eaters" because of the way they would rapidly melt away snow on the ground.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.