Maloja wind
The Maloja wind is the valley wind of Bergell . It is caused by the faster warming of the extraordinarily steep mountain slopes in the morning, as these are warmed more strongly by the sun than the valley. In the narrow and deeply cut Bergell there is much colder air than over the Engadine, and so a wind system with regionally specific thermal circulation is formed . In gliding it offers the possibility of very intense updrafts .
Warm air rises and air is drawn in from the valley - the wind is created. This wind is strong enough to overcome the low end of the valley between Bergell and Engadin on the Malojapass and continue to blow in the Upper Engadin valley. There the wind blows untypically down the valley, while in the Bergell it blows up the valley. For this reason it is also called "the wrong wind" or "the night wind of the day". This cool air stream blows particularly frequently in the months of July to October and can take on storm-like proportions.
The Maloja wind is the headwind to the Engadine valley wind Brüscha . While in the mountains valley winds usually blow uphill during the day because of the faster air warming in the valley, the night wind is directed downhill because of the faster air cooling at high altitudes.
Maloja snake
Since the Maloja wind not only good, thermally developed weather conditions occurs, but also a snake-like to St. Moritz advancing cloud formation, the so-called. Maloja snake , acts as a bad weather phenomenon, it is about its creation several theories and a rich literature. The documentary film Das Wolkenphänomen von Maloja by Arnold Fanck from 1924 is dedicated to the cloud phenomenon .
Art and culture
The name of the film Die Wolken von Sils Maria from 2014 also refers to the Maloja snake phenomenon.
The fact that Nietzsche did not find the peace and relaxation he had hoped for despite the balanced climate in the Engadine probably has no meteorological cause. In Der Antichrist he complains about this offshoot of the Scirocco : "Better to live in the ice than under modern virtues and other southerly winds!" (Chapter 1, KSA 6, p. 169.)
Ueli Mooser composed the popular country hit "Malojawind".
Water sports
On Lake Silvaplana , windsurfers and kite surfers use the constant Maloja wind for their movement.