Zonda

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A distinct wind arising from the Andes mountains, known for causing sudden temperature shifts in its surroundings
2. An air current that flows downward from the Andes, often leading to dry and warm conditions in the affected area
3. A specific type of wind descending from the Andes, recognized for bringing abrupt changes in weather and drying out local environments

Etymology: The zonda is a hot, dry foehn-like wind that sweeps down the eastern slopes of the Andes into Argentina, most often in the provinces of Mendoza and San Juan. Its name is Spanish, and it entered English as a borrowing of that Spanish word, so the English term carries the Spanish label for a wind that local residents have known for centuries before anyone wrote it down in English. The wind itself is a dramatic one. As moist air rises over the Andes it cools and drops its moisture on the western, Chilean side; when it descends the eastern face it warms and dries rapidly, arriving in the lowlands as a sudden, gusty blast that can lift the temperature sharply within minutes. Those abrupt shifts are what give the zonda its reputation for upsetting weather patterns and parching the land around it.