How do Mountains Effect Weather?

Well, that's the question.

What's a good series of rules that explains how mountains effect weather? (Rain, climate, etc...)

For Worldbuilding purposes.

(image nicked from here.)

Of course, there's more complex stuff too - reality is far more complex than any diagram - but it gives you a crude idea.

(Note: 'rainshadow' means there is no rain there.)

In terms of rain, you have to basics, at least near coastal regions. The side of the mountain facing the water will be much greener and have a better cover of foliage. However, the side facing away from the water will be extremely dry due to the fact that water gets trapped in the mountain top and turns to snow as the moisture passes. A great example of this is in the Andes Mountain Range of South America. The west side of the mountain range sees more rain than almost any region on earth while the east side sees the least is one of the hottest places on earth, the Atacama Dessert.



wow, can you believe I remember all of that without a text book or a web search.

This is known as relief or orographic rainfall.