rainshadowThe way that a mountain range blocks the path of air and forces the air to rise and release its moisture on the windward side, leaving very little moisture for the leeward side. The leeward side is the rainshadow side of the mountain.
This picture shows the Himalaya, the tallest mountains in the world. Their snow-capped peaks form a long line, with lower land on the left (south) and right (north). They are ranges of mountains on the southern edge of the great chain that crosses Asia.The moist air approaches the Himalaya from the left, and most of the moisture is deposited as rain or snow on this side of the mountains. The rainfall on the right is far less, which is why the landscape looks brown. This is the rainshadow side.
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