The climate of the Alps is the climate, or average weather conditions over a long period of time, of the exact middle Alpine region of Europe.[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.
- ^ Agrawala, Shardul. (2007). Climate change in the European alps : adapting winter tourism and natural hazards management. OECD, Organisation for economic co-operation and development. ISBN 978-9264031685. OCLC 729351518.
- ^ Elsasser, H; Bürki, R (2002). "Climate change as a threat to tourism in the Alps". Climate Research. 20 (3): 253–257. doi:10.3354/cr020253. ISSN 0936-577X.