chinook

{{Canada|physics|meteorology}} The name given to the descending, warm, dry wind on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. The chinook generally blows from the southwest, but its direction may be modified by topography. When it sets in after a spell of intense cold, the temperature may rise by 20°F to 40°F in 15 minutes due to replacement of a cold air mass with a much warmer air mass in minutes.