The Bise (French: La Bise) is a cold, dry wind in Switzerland which blows through the Swiss Plateau from the northeast to the southwest. [1]
The Bise (French: La Bise) is a cold, dry wind in Switzerland which blows through the Swiss Plateau from the northeast to the southwest. [1]
It is caused by canalisation of the air-current along the northern edge of the Alps, during high-pressure conditions in northern or eastern Europe. Towards western Swiss Plateau, the Bise is pressed between the Jura mountains and Pre-Alps whereby it strengthens and mostly climaxes on the western shore of Lake Geneva. In summer, the Bise wind causes rather dry and sunny weather whereas in winter, it frequently forms low stratus clouds over the Swiss Plateau by strengthening the inversion layer. [1]
The Bise can sometimes lead to severe icing during winter months in Geneva and nearby communities. [2] Many foreign travellers to this Swiss city have commented upon the Bise. [3] [4]
The strength of the Bise wind can be determined by the analysis of the air pressure difference (in hectopascal [hPa]) between Geneva and Güttingen in canton of Thurgau. The Bise arises as soon as the air pressure in Güttingen (TG) is higher than in Geneva. The greater this air pressure difference, the stronger the Bise blows through the Swiss Plateau. In case of an inverted air pressure difference (low air pressure in Güttingen (TG) and high air pressure in Geneva), the opposite of Bise occurs: The wind blows from southwest through the Swiss Plateau. [1]
An alternative form in English is Biz. [5] The term entered Middle English from French bise. Its origin is unknown. [6]
The wind La Bise, along with Lake Geneva, is also mentioned in the song "Lonely Sky" which was penned and sung by the Irish singer Chris De Burgh. The song was released in 1975 on the album "Spanish Train and Other Stories". The La Bise is also mentioned in the lyrics of the French patriotic song La Strasbourgeoise by Gaston Villemer and Lucien Delormel .
The geography of Switzerland encompasses the geographical features of Switzerland, a mountainous and landlocked country located in Western and Central Europe. Switzerland's natural landscape is marked by its numerous lakes and mountains. It is surrounded by 5 countries: Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, France to the west, Italy to the south and Germany to the north. Switzerland has a maximum north–south length of 220 kilometres (140 mi) and an east–west length of about 350 kilometres (220 mi).
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colder air. The vapor then freezes and is deposited on the leeward (downwind) shores.
A monsoon is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscillation of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) between its limits to the north and south of the equator. Usually, the term monsoon is used to refer to the rainy phase of a seasonally changing pattern, although technically there is also a dry phase. The term is also sometimes used to describe locally heavy but short-term rains.
Lake Geneva is a deep lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. Sixty per cent of the lake belongs to Switzerland and forty per cent to France.
Valais, more formally the Canton of Valais, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion. The flag of the canton is made of thirteen stars representing the districts, on a white-red background.
The mistral is a strong, cold, northwesterly wind that blows from southern France into the Gulf of Lion in the northern Mediterranean. It produces sustained winds often exceeding 66 km/h, sometimes reaching 185 km/h. It is most common in the winter and spring, and strongest in the transition between the two seasons. Periods of the wind exceeding 30 km/h for more than sixty-five hours have been reported.
A Foehn or Föhn, is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes. As a consequence of the different adiabatic lapse rates of moist and dry air, the air on the leeward slopes becomes warmer than equivalent elevations on the windward slopes.
Orographic lift occurs when an air mass is forced from a low elevation to a higher elevation as it moves over rising terrain. As the air mass gains altitude it quickly cools down adiabatically, which can raise the relative humidity to 100% and create clouds and, under the right conditions, precipitation.
A rain shadow is an area of significantly reduced rainfall behind a mountainous region, on the side facing away from prevailing winds, known as its leeward side.
Weather lore is the body of informal folklore related to the prediction of the weather and its greater meaning.
The Swiss Plateau or Central Plateau is one of the three major landscapes in Switzerland, lying between the Jura Mountains and the Swiss Alps. It covers about 30% of the Swiss surface area, and is partly flat but mostly hilly. The average height is between 400 metres (1,300 ft) and 700 metres (2,300 ft) AMSL. It is by far the most densely populated region of Switzerland, the center of economy and important transportation.
Tramontane is a classical name for a northern wind. The exact form of the name and precise direction varies from country to country. The word came to English from Italian tramontana, which developed from Latin trānsmontānus, "beyond/across the mountains", referring to the Alps in the North of Italy. The word has other non-wind-related senses: it can refer to anything that comes from, or anyone who lives on, the other side of mountains, or even more generally, anything seen as foreign, strange, or even barbarous.
Berg wind is the South African name for a katabatic wind: a hot dry wind blowing down the Great Escarpment from the high central plateau to the coast.
Güttingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.
La Dôle is a mountain of the Jura, overlooking Lake Geneva in the westernmost part of the canton of Vaud. Rising to an altitude of 1677 meters, it is the second highest peak in the Swiss portion of the Jura, after Mont Tendre. Administratively, the summit is split between the municipalities of Gingins, Chéserex and La Rippe. The mountain is also close to and easily accessible from Saint-Cergue and the Col de la Givrine to the north, both above 1000 meters and connected to Nyon on Lake Geneva by road and by the Nyon–St-Cergue–Morez Railway. A paved road also climbs to the Chalet de la Dôle below the summit from Gingins.
A blizzard watch was a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service of the United States which meant winds greater than 35 miles per hour, mixed with falling or blowing snow, and visibilities of 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) or less is forecast for a period of 3 hours or more. A blizzard watch was issued 12 to 48 hours before an expected blizzard event. As the forecast solidifies, a blizzard watch would be either downgraded to a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory for blowing snow or upgraded to a blizzard warning.
Matheysine is a French Natural region located in the Alps at the south of the Isère département. Its relief is a plateau surrounded by mountains. Matheysine is also called Plateau Matheysin.
La Chapelle-d'Abondance is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
The Alpine föhn is the name given to the föhn wind in the Alpine region. The name föhn was originally used to refer to the south wind which blows during the winter months and brings thaw conditions to the northern side of the Alps. Because föhn later became a generic term that was extended to other mountain ranges around the world that experience similar phenomena, the name "Alpine föhn" (Alpenföhn) was coined for the föhns of the Alpine region. The wind can cause heavy storms with winds of hurricane strength and top speeds of up to 150 km/h (93 mph). The south wind on the northern side of the Alps is also called the south föhn (Südföhn), its opposite number on the south side of the Alps is also called the north föhn (Nordföhn).
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