Climate

As in any mountain region, the higher the elevation, the colder the climate. Climate depends also on whether an area is shaded or is open to sunlight. Usually, slopes facing south have milder winters than do those facing north. Rain and snow are heavy nearly everywhere; snow falls on the high peaks most of the year.

Avalanches—masses of snow, mixed with earth and loose rock—frequently slide down mountain slopes into the valleys and villages below. A distinctive wind of the Alps is the föhn or foehn, a dry, warm, southerly wind that quickens the melting of snow in spring.