Editing Rain shadow (section)

==Notably affected regions==
There are regular patterns of [[prevailing winds]] found in bands round Earth's [[equator]]ial region. The zone designated the [[trade winds]] is the zone between about 30° N and 30° S, blowing predominantly from the northeast in the [[Northern Hemisphere]] and from the southeast in the [[Southern Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Glossary of Meteorology |title=trade winds |work=Glossary of Meteorology |publisher=American Meteorological Society |year=2009 |access-date=4 July 2021 |url=https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Trade_winds}}</ref> The [[westerlies]] are the prevailing winds in the [[middle latitudes]] between 30 and 60 degrees [[latitude]], blowing predominantly from the southwest in the Northern Hemisphere and from the northwest in the Southern Hemisphere.<ref>{{cite web |author=Glossary of Meteorology |title=westerlies |work=Glossary of Meteorology |publisher=American Meteorological Society |year=2009 |access-date=4 July 2021 |url=https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Westerlies}}</ref> Some of the strongest westerly winds in the middle latitudes can come in the [[Roaring Forties]] of the Southern Hemisphere, between 30 and 50 degrees latitude.<ref>{{cite web |author=Glossary of Meteorology |title=roaring forties |work=Glossary of Meteorology |publisher=American Meteorological Society |year=2009 |access-date=4 July 2021 |url=https://glossary.ametsoc.org/wiki/Roaring_forties}}</ref>

Examples of notable rain shadowing include:

===Africa===
====Northern Africa====
[[File:Algeria.A2002118.1040.250m.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The [[Atlas Mountains]]' (top) rain shadow effect makes the [[Sahara]] even drier.]]
* The [[Sahara]] is made even drier because of a strong rain shadow effects caused by major mountain ranges (whose highest points can culminate up to more than 4,000 meters; 2½ miles high). To the northwest, the [[Atlas Mountains]], covering the [[Mediterranean]] coast for [[Morocco]], [[Algeria]] and [[Tunisia]]. On the [[windward]] side of the [[Atlas Mountains]], the warm, moist winds blowing from the northwest off the [[Atlantic Ocean]], which contain a lot of water vapor, are forced to rise, lift up and expand over the mountain range. This causes them to cool down, which causes an excess of moisture to condense into high clouds and results in heavy precipitation over the mountain range. This is known as [[orographic rainfall]] and after this process, the air is dry because it has lost most of its moisture over the [[Atlas Mountains]]. On the [[leeward]] side, the cold, dry air starts to descend and to sink and compress, making the winds warm up. This warming causes the moisture to evaporate, making clouds disappear. This prevents rainfall formation and creates desert conditions in the Sahara. 
* Desert regions in the [[Horn of Africa]] ([[Ethiopia]], [[Eritrea]], [[Somalia]] and [[Djibouti]]) such as the [[Danakil Desert]] are all influenced by the air heating and drying produced by rain shadow effect of the [[Ethiopian Highlands]].

====Southern Africa====
[[File:A virtually cloudless image of Madagascar ESA230211.jpg|thumb|230px|The mountain ranges on the eastern side of [[Madagascar]] provide a rain shadow for the country's western portion.]]
* The windward side of the island of [[Madagascar]], which sees easterly on-shore winds, is wet tropical, while the western and southern sides of the island lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands and are home to thorn forests and deserts. The same is true for the island of [[Réunion]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* On [[Tristan da Cunha]], [[Sandy Point, Tristan da Cunha|Sandy Point]] on the east coast is warmer and drier than the rainy, windswept settlement of [[Edinburgh of the Seven Seas]] in the west.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* In [[Western Cape Province]], the [[Breede River Valley]] and the [[Karoo]] region lie in the rain shadow of the [[Cape Fold Mountains]] and are arid; whereas the wettest parts of the Cape Mountains can receive {{convert|1500|mm|in|0}}, [[Worcester, South Africa|Worcester]] receives only around {{convert|200|mm|in|0}} and is useful only for grazing.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===Asia===
====Central and Northern Asia====
* The [[Himalayas]] and connecting ranges also contribute to arid conditions in [[Central Asia]] including [[Mongolia]]'s [[Gobi]] desert, as well as the [[Semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] steppes of Mongolia and north-central to north western China.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* The [[Verkhoyansk Range]] in eastern [[Siberia]] is the coldest place in the [[Northern Hemisphere]], because the moist southeasterly winds from the [[Pacific Ocean]] lose their moisture over the coastal mountains well before reaching the [[Lena River]] valley, due to the intense [[Siberian High]] forming around the very cold continental air during the winter. One effect in the [[Sakha Republic]] (Yakutia) is that, in [[Yakutsk]], [[Verkhoyansk]], and [[Oymyakon]], the average temperature in the coldest month is below {{convert|-38|°C}}. These regions are synonymous with extreme cold.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

====Eastern Asia====
* The [[Ordos Desert]] is rain shadowed by mountain chains including the Kara-naryn-ula, the Sheitenula, and the [[Yin Mountains]], which link on to the south end of the [[Great Khingan Mountains]].
* The central region of [[Myanmar]] is in the rain shadow of the [[Arakan Mountains]] and is almost semi-arid with only {{convert|750|mm|in|0}} of rain, versus up to {{convert|5.5|m|in|-1}} on the [[Rakhine State]] coast.
* The plains around Tokyo, Japan – known as [[Kantō Plain|Kanto plain]] – during winter experiences significantly less precipitation than the rest of the country by virtue of surrounding mountain ranges, including the [[Japanese Alps]], blocking prevailing northwesterly winds originating in Siberia.

====Southern Asia====
[[File:Ghat satellite view.jpg|thumb|230px|The eastern regions of the [[Western Ghats]] lie in a rain shadow, receiving far less rainfall.]]
* The eastern side of the [[Sahyadri]] ranges on the [[Deccan Plateau]] including: [[Vidarbha]], [[North Karnataka]], [[Rayalaseema]] and western [[Tamil Nadu]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* [[Gilgit]] and [[Chitral]], Pakistan, are rainshadow areas.
* The [[Thar Desert]] is bounded and rain shadowed by the [[Aravalli Range|Aravalli]] ranges to the southeast, the Himalaya to the northeast, and the Kirthar and Sulaiman ranges to the west.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
*The [[Central Highlands of Sri Lanka]] rain shadow the northeastern parts of the island, which experience much less severe [[Monsoon of South Asia|summer monsoon]] rains and instead have precipitation peaks in autumn and winter.

====Western Asia====
[[File:Envisat image of the southern Caspian Sea ESA223952.tiff|thumb|230px|Most of Iran is rain-shadowed by the [[Alborz]] mountains in the north (just south of the [[Caspian Sea]]), hence the country's mostly (semi) arid climate.]]
[[File:Reviving the Shriveled Lake Urmia.jpg|thumb|230px|Lake Urmia (centre) and surrounds rain-shadowed by the snowy [[Zagros mountains]] to the west.]]
* The peaks of the [[Caucasus Mountains]] to the west and [[Hindukush]] and [[Pamir Mountains|Pamir]] to the east rain shadow the [[Karakum Desert|Karakum]] and [[Kyzyl Kum]] deserts east of the [[Caspian Sea]], as well as the [[Semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] [[Kazakh Steppe]]. They also cause vast rainfall differences between coastal areas on the [[Black Sea]] such as [[Rize]], [[Batumi]] and [[Sochi]] contrasted with the dry lowlands of [[Azerbaijan]] facing the Caspian Sea.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* The semi-arid [[Anatolian Plateau]] is rain shadowed by mountain chains, including the [[Pontic Mountains]] in the north and the [[Taurus Mountains]] in the south.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* The High Peaks of [[Mount Lebanon]] rain-shadow the northern parts of the [[Beqaa Valley]] and [[Anti-Lebanon Mountains]].
* The [[Judaean Desert]], the [[Dead Sea]] and the western slopes of the [[Moab]] Mountains on the opposite ([[Jordan]]ian) side are rain-shadowed by the [[Judaean Mountains]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* The [[Dasht-i-Lut]] in Iran is in the rain shadow of the [[Elburz Mountains|Elburz]] and [[Zagros Mountains]] and is one of the most lifeless areas on Earth.
* The peaks of the [[Zagros Mountains]] rain-shadow the northern half of the [[West Azerbaijan province]] in [[Iranian Azerbaijan]] (above [[Urmia]]), as manifested by the province's dry winters relative to those in the windward part of the region (i.e. [[Kurdistan Region]] and [[Hakkâri Province]] in Turkey).
*Much of the [[Mesaoria|Mesaoria Plain]] of [[Cyprus]] is in the rain shadow of the [[Troodos Mountains]] and is semi-arid.

=== Europe ===
====Central Europe====
* The Plains of [[Limagne]] and [[Forez]] in the northern [[Massif Central]], France are also relatively rainshadowed (mostly the plain of Limagne, shadowed by the [[Chaîne des Puys]] (up to 2000&nbsp;mm; 80" of rain a year on the summits and below 600mm; 20" at [[Clermont-Ferrand]], which is one of the driest places in the country).
* The [[Piedmont]] wine region of northern Italy is rainshadowed by the mountains that surround it on nearly every side: [[Asti]] receives only {{convert|527|mm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} of precipitation per year, making it one of the driest places in mainland Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=161161&refer=&units=metric|title=Asti weather|work=weatherbase.com}}</ref>
* Some valleys in the inner [[Alps]] are also strongly rainshadowed by the high surrounding mountains: the areas of [[Gap, Hautes-Alpes|Gap]] and [[Briançon]] in [[France]], the district of [[Zernez]] in [[Switzerland]].
* The [[Kuyavia]] and the eastern part of the [[Greater Poland]] has an average rainfall of about {{convert|450|mm|in|abbr=on}} because of rainshadowing by the slopes of the [[Szwajcaria Kaszubska|Kashubian Switzerland]], making it one of the driest places in the [[North European Plain]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://turystyka.wp.pl/kujawy-najsuchsze-miejsce-w-polsce-6043969957925505g|title=Kujawy - najsuchsze miejsce w Polsce|last=S.A|first=Wirtualna Polska Media|date=2016-02-02|website=turystyka.wp.pl|language=pl|access-date=2020-01-31}}</ref>

====Northern Europe====
* The [[Pennines]] of Northern England, the mountains of [[Wales]], the [[Lake District]] and the [[Highlands of Scotland]] create a rain shadow that includes most of the eastern United Kingdom, due to the prevailing south-westerly winds. [[Manchester]] and [[Glasgow]], for example, receive around double the rainfall of [[Leeds]] and [[Edinburgh]] respectively (although there are no mountains between Edinburgh and Glasgow). The contrast is even stronger further north, where [[Aberdeen]] gets around a third of the rainfall of [[Fort William, Scotland|Fort William]] or [[Skye]]. In Devon, rainfall at [[Princetown]] on Dartmoor is almost three times the amount received {{convert|48|km|mi}}  to the east at locations such as [[Exeter]] and [[Teignmouth]]. [[The Fens]] of East Anglia receive similar rainfall amounts to [[Seville]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/7100_1km/Rainfall_Average_1971-2000_17.gif|title=UK Rainfall averages|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218235225/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/7100_1km/Rainfall_Average_1971-2000_17.gif|archive-date=2010-02-18}}</ref>
* [[Iceland]] has plenty of [[microclimate]]s courtesy of the mountainous terrain. [[Akureyri]] on a northerly [[fiord]] receives about a third of the precipitation that the island of [[Vestmannaeyjar]] off the south coast gets. The smaller island is in the pathway of [[Gulf Stream]] rain fronts with mountains lining the southern coast of the mainland.
* The [[Scandinavian Mountains]] create a rain shadow for lowland areas east of the mountain chain and prevents the [[Oceanic climate]] from penetrating further east; thus [[Bergen]] and a place like [[Brekke (village)|Brekke]] in [[Sogn]], west of the mountains, receive an annual precipitation of {{convert|2250|and|3575|mm|in|sigfig=3}}, respectively,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.miljolare.no/tema/luftkvalitet/kampanjer/regnsjekken07/sporsmal/?q_id=2199|title=Spør meteorologen!|website=www.miljolare.no|access-date=2019-05-07}}</ref> while [[Oslo]] receives only {{convert|760|mm|in}}, and [[Skjåk Municipality]], a [[municipalities of Norway|municipality]] situated in a deep valley, receives only {{convert|280|mm|in}}. Further east, the partial influence of the Scandinavian Mountains contribute to areas in east-central [[Sweden]] around [[Stockholm]] only receiving {{convert|550|mm|in}} annually. In the north, the mountain range extending to the coast in around [[Narvik (town)|Narvik]] and [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]] cause a lot higher precipitation there than in coastal areas further east facing north such as [[Alta (town)|Alta]] or inland areas like [[Kiruna]] across the Swedish border.
* The [[South Swedish highlands]], although not rising more than {{convert|377|m|ft}}, reduce precipitation and increase summer temperatures on the eastern side. Combined with the high pressure of the [[Baltic Sea]], this leads to some of the driest climates in the humid zones of Northern Europe being found in the triangle between the coastal areas in the counties of [[Kalmar County|Kalmar]], [[Östergötland County|Östergötland]] and [[Södermanland County|Södermanland]] along with the offshore island of [[Gotland]] on the leeward side of the slopes. Coastal areas in this part of Sweden usually receive less precipitation than windward locations in [[Andalusia]] in the south of Spain.<ref name=SMHInederbörd19912020>{{cite web|url=https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/dataserier-med-normalvarden-for-perioden-1991-2020-1.167775?l=null|title=Dataserier med normalvärden för perioden 1991-2020|trans-title=Data series with normals for the period 1991-2020|language=sv|publisher=[[Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute]]|access-date=9 August 2022}}</ref>

====Southern Europe====
[[File:Vista satelital de la cordillera Cantábrica en toda su extensión, señalada mediante un recuadro rojo.jpg|thumb|230px|Cantabrian Mountains in the north, which rain-shadow most of Spain]]
* The [[Cantabrian Mountains]] form a sharp division between "[[Green Spain]]" to the north and the dry central plateau. The northern-facing slopes receive heavy rainfall from the [[Bay of Biscay]], but the southern slopes are in rain shadow. The other most evident effect on the Iberian Peninsula occurs in the [[Almería (province)|Almería]], [[Region of Murcia|Murcia]] and [[Alicante (province)|Alicante]] areas, each with an average rainfall of {{convert|300|mm|in|abbr=on}}, which are the driest spots in Europe (see [[Cabo de Gata]]) mostly a result of the mountain range running through their western side, which blocks the westerlies.
* The [[Norte Region, Portugal|Norte Region]] in [[Portugal]] has extreme differences in precipitation with values surpassing {{convert|3000|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the [[Peneda-Gerês National Park]] to values close to {{convert|500|mm|in|abbr=on}} in the [[Douro Valley]]. Despite being only {{convert|28|km|mi|abbr=on}} apart, [[Chaves, Portugal|Chaves]] has less than half the precipitation of [[Montalegre]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Iberian Climatic Atlas |url=http://www.ipma.pt/resources.www/docs_pontuais/ocorrencias/2011/atlas_clima_iberico.pdf |publisher=[[IPMA]], [[AEMET]] |access-date=24 December 2020}}</ref>
* The eastern part of the [[Pyrenees|Pyrenean mountains]] in the south of France ([[Cerdagne]]).
* In the Northern [[Apennines]] of [[Italy]], Mediterranean city [[La Spezia]] receives twice the rainfall of Adriatic city [[Rimini]] on the eastern side. This is also extended to the southern end of the Apennines that see vast rainfall differences between [[Naples]] with above {{convert|1000|mm|in}} on the Mediterranean side and [[Bari]] with about {{convert|560|mm|in}} on the Adriatic side.
* The valley of the [[Vardar River]] and south from [[Skopje]] to [[Athens]] is in the rain shadow of the [[Accursed Mountains]] and [[Pindus Mountains]]. On its windward side the Accursed Mountains has the highest rainfall in Europe at around {{convert|5000|mm|in|-1}} with small glaciers even at mean annual temperatures well above {{convert|0|C|F}}, but the leeward side receives as little as {{convert|400|mm|in}}.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

===Caribbean===
* Throughout the [[Greater Antilles]], the southwestern sides are in the rain shadow of the trade winds and can receive as little as {{convert|400|mm|in|0}} per year as against over {{convert|2000|mm|in}} on the northeastern, windward sides and over {{convert|5000|mm|in}} over some highland areas. This is most apparent in [[Cuba]], where this phenomenon leads to the [[Cuban cactus scrub]] ecoregion, and the island of [[Hispaniola]] (which contains the Caribbean's highest mountain ranges), which results in xeric semi-arid shrublands throughout the [[Dominican Republic]] and [[Haiti]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

===North American mainland===
[[File:Great Basin map.gif|thumb|230px|The [[Cascade Range]] to the north and the [[California Coast Ranges]] and the [[Sierra Nevada]] to the south provide a significant rain-shadow for the inland [[Deserts of North America|North American deserts]].]]
On the largest scale, the entirety of the North American [[Interior Plains]] are shielded from the prevailing [[Westerlies]] carrying moist Pacific weather by the [[North American Cordillera]]. More pronounced effects are observed, however, in particular valley regions within the Cordillera, in the direct lee of specific mountain ranges.<ref name="usatoday" /> This includes much of the [[Basin and Range Province]] in the [[United States]] and [[Mexico]].

The [[Pacific Coast Ranges]] create rain shadows near the West Coast:
* The Dungeness Valley around [[Sequim, Washington|Sequim]] and [[Port Angeles]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] lies in the rain shadow of the [[Olympic Mountains]]. The area averages {{convert|10-15|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain per year. The rain shadow extends to the eastern Olympic Peninsula, [[Whidbey Island]], parts of the [[San Juan Islands]], and [[Victoria, British Columbia]] which receive between {{convert|18-24|in|mm|abbr=on}} of precipitation each year. [[Seattle]] is also affected by the rain shadow, albeit to a much lesser effect.<ref>{{cite news|author=John Metcalfe|title=The Wet and Slightly Less Wet Microclimates of Seattle|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-10-14/where-are-the-rainiest-and-driest-microclimates-of-seattle|work=Bllomberg News|date=14 October 2015}}</ref> By contrast, [[Aberdeen, Washington|Aberdeen]], which is situated southwest of the Olympics, receives nearly {{convert|85|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain per year<ref>
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00450008&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Aberdeen, WA
|access-date = February 17, 2023
}}.</ref>
* The east slopes of the Coast Ranges in central and southern California cut off the southern [[San Joaquin Valley]] from enough precipitation to ensure desert-like conditions in areas around [[Bakersfield, California|Bakersfield]].
* [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], and adjacent cities are usually drier than the rest of the [[San Francisco Bay Area]] because of the rain shadow cast by the highest part of the [[Santa Cruz Mountains]].
* The [[Sonoran Desert]] is bounded to the west by the [[Peninsular Ranges]], but extends even along part of the east coast of the [[Gulf of California]].
* The [[Sierra Madre Occidental]] in Mexico are west of the [[Chihuahuan Desert]].

Most rain shadows in the western [[United States]] are due to the [[Sierra Nevada]] mountains in California and [[Cascade Mountains]], mostly in [[Oregon]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]].<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wrnshdw/wrnshdw.htm |title=How mountains influence rainfall patterns|access-date = 2008-02-29|work=[[USA Today]]|date=2007-11-01}}</ref>
* The Cascades create a rain-shadowed [[Columbia River Drainage Basin|Columbia Basin]] area of [[Eastern Washington]] and valleys in British Columbia, Canada - most notably the [[Thompson River|Thompson]] and [[Nicola River|Nicola]] Valleys which can receive less than {{convert|10|in|mm|order=flip}}  of rain in parts, and the [[Okanagan Valley]] (particularly the south, nearest to the US border) which receives anywhere from 12 to 17 inches of rain annually.<ref>{{cite web|author=Glossary of Meteorology|year=2009|url=http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=westerlies1|title=Westerlies|publisher=American Meteorological Society|access-date=2009-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622073904/http://amsglossary.allenpress.com/glossary/search?id=westerlies1|archive-date=2010-06-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icbemp.gov/science/ferguson_42.pdf|title=Climatology of the Interior Columbia River Basin|author=Sue Ferguson|date=2001-09-07|publisher=Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project|access-date=2009-09-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515003307/http://www.icbemp.gov/science/ferguson_42.pdf|archive-date=2009-05-15}}</ref>
* The [[endorheic]] [[Great Basin]] of [[Utah]] and [[Nevada]] is in the rain shadows of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.<ref>{{cite book | title=An Introduction to Geology |chapter=Deserts |
url=https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Book%3A_An_Introduction_to_Geology_(Johnson_Affolter_Inkenbrandt_and_Mosher)/13%3A_Deserts/13.05%3A_The_Great_Basin_and_the_Basin_and_Range |author=Chris Johnson |author2=Matthew D. Affolter |author3=Paul Inkenbrandt |author4=Cam Mosher }}</ref>
* The [[Mojave Desert]] is rain-shadowed by the Sierra Nevada and the [[Transverse Ranges]] of southern California.
* The [[Black Rock Desert]] is in the rain shadows of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada.
* California's [[Owens Valley]] is rain-shadowed by the Sierra Nevada.
* [[Death Valley]] in the United States, behind both the [[Pacific Coast Ranges]] of [[California]] and the [[Sierra Nevada]] range, is the driest place in North America and one of the driest places on the planet. This is also due to its location well below [[sea level]] which tends to cause high pressure and dry conditions to dominate due to the greater weight of the atmosphere above.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}

The [[Colorado Front Range]] is limited to precipitation that crosses over the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]]. While many locations west of the Divide may receive as much as {{convert|40|in|mm|order=flip}}  of precipitation per year, some places on the eastern side, notably the cities of [[Denver]] and [[Pueblo, Colorado]], typically receive only about 12 to 19 inches. Thus, the [[Continental Divide of the Americas|Continental Divide]] acts as a barrier for precipitation. This effect applies only to storms traveling west-to-east. When low pressure systems skirt the [[Rocky Mountains]] and approach from the south, they can generate high precipitation on the eastern side and little or none on the western slope.

Further east:
* The [[Shenandoah Valley]] of Virginia, wedged between the [[Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians]] and the [[Blue Ridge Mountains]] and partially shielded from moisture from the west and southeast, is much drier than the very humid remainder of Virginia and the American Southeast.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cocorahs.org/Media/docs/ClimateSum_VA.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-03-16 |archive-date=2020-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103030847/https://www.cocorahs.org/Media/docs/ClimateSum_VA.pdf  }}</ref>
* [[Asheville]], North Carolina sits in the rain shadow of the [[Great Balsam Mountains|Balsam]], [[Smoky Mountains|Smoky]], and [[Blue Ridge Mountains]]. While the mountains surrounding Asheville contain the [[Appalachian temperate rainforest]]s, with areas receiving over an annual average precipitation of {{convert|100|in|mm|order=flip}}, the city itself is the driest location in North Carolina, with an annual average precipitation of only {{convert|37|in|mm|order=flip}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wncvitalityindex.org/weather-and-climate/precipitation-variability|title = Precipitation Variability &#124; Western North Carolina Vitality Index}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2019/02/11/answer-man-asheville-temperate-rainforest-wake-record-rain/2836281002/|title = Answer Man: Asheville a 'temperate rainforest' in wake of record rain?}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ncparks.gov/gorges-state-park/home|title = Gorges State Park &#124; NC State Parks}}</ref>
* [[Ashcroft, British Columbia|Ashcroft]], British Columbia, the only true desert in Canada, sits in the rain shadow of the [[Coast Mountains]] of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://infotel.ca/newsitem/canadas-only-desert-is-in-bc-but-not-where-you-think-it-is/it75548|title = Canada's only desert is in B.C. But not where you think it is}}</ref>
* [[Yellowknife]], the capital and most populous city in the [[Northwest Territories]] of [[Canada]], is located in the rain shadow of the mountain ranges to the west of the city.

===Oceania===
====Australia====
[[File:The Great Barrier Reef, Australia - Envisat.jpg|thumb|230px|The [[Atherton Tableland]] rain-shadowing the dry [[Tablelands Region]] in Queensland (bottom-right).]]
[[File:New Zealand as seen by Envisat ESA217570.jpg|thumb|230px|The [[Southern Alps]] in New Zealand rain shadow the eastern side of the [[South Island]].]]
* In [[New South Wales]] and the [[Australian Capital Territory]], [[Monaro, New South Wales|Monaro]] is shielded by both the [[Snowy Mountains]] to the northwest and coastal ranges to the southeast. Consequently, parts of it are as dry as the wheat-growing lands of those states. For comparison, [[Cooma]] receives {{convert|535|mm|in}} of rain annually, whereas [[Batlow]], on the western side of the ranges, receives {{convert|1220|mm|in}} of precipitation. Furthermore, Australia's capital [[Canberra]] is also protected from the west by the [[Brindabellas]] which create a strong rain shadow in Canberra's valleys, where it receives an annual rainfall of {{convert|580|mm|in}}, compared to [[Adjungbilly]]'s {{convert|1075|mm|in}}. In the cool season, the [[Great Dividing Range]] also [[Southeast Australian foehn|shields much of the southeast coast]] (i.e. [[Sydney]], the [[Central Coast, New South Wales|Central Coast]], the [[Hunter Valley]], [[Illawarra]], the [[South Coast, New South Wales|South Coast]]) from south-westerly [[polar vortex|polar blasts]] that originate from the [[Southern Ocean]].<ref>[https://www.willyweather.com.au/news/5291/rain+shadows.html Rain Shadows] by Don White. Australian Weather News. Willy Weather. Retrieved 24 May 2021.</ref><ref>[https://thenewdaily.com.au/weather/2020/05/28/bom-winter-weather-forecast-2020/ And the outlook for winter is … wet] by Kate Doyle from [[The New Daily]]. Retrieved 24 May 2021.</ref>
* In [[Queensland]], the land west of [[Atherton Tableland]] in the [[Tablelands Region]] lies on a rain shadow and therefore would feature significantly lower annual rainfall averages than those in the [[Cairns Region]]. For comparison, [[Tully, Queensland|Tully]], which is on the eastern side of the tablelands, towards the coast, receives annual rainfall that exceeds {{convert|4000|mm|in}}, whereas [[Mareeba]], which lies on the rain shadow of the Atherton Tableland, receives {{convert|870|mm|in}} of rainfall annually.
* In [[Tasmania]], the central Midlands region is in a strong rain shadow and receives only about a fifth as much rainfall as the highlands to the west.
* In [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], the western side of [[Port Phillip Bay]] is in the rain shadow of the [[Otway Ranges]]. The area between [[Geelong]] and [[Werribee]] is the driest part of southern Victoria: the crest of the Otway Ranges receives {{convert|2000|mm|in}} of rain per year and has [[myrtle beech]] rainforests much further west than anywhere else, while the area around [[Little River, Victoria|Little River]] receives as little as {{convert|425|mm|in}} annually, which is as little as [[Nhill]] or [[Longreach]] and supports only grassland. Also in Victoria, [[Omeo]] is shielded by the surrounding [[Victorian Alps]], where it receives around {{convert|650|mm|in}} of annual rain, whereas other places nearby exceed {{convert|1000|mm|in}}.
* [[Western Australia]]'s [[Wheatbelt (Western Australia)|Wheatbelt]] and [[Great Southern (Western Australia)|Great Southern]] regions are shielded by the [[Darling Scarp|Darling Range]] to the west: [[Mandurah]], near the coast, receives about {{convert|700|mm|in}} annually. [[Dwellingup]], {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=on}} inland and in the heart of the ranges, receives over {{convert|1000|mm|in}} a year while [[Narrogin]], {{convert|130|km|mi}} further east, receives less than {{convert|500|mm|in}} a year.

====Pacific Islands====
* [[Hawaii]] also has rain shadows, with some areas being desert.<ref>{{cite book | last1 = Giambelluca| first1 = Tom| last2 = Sanderson | first2 = Marie | title = Prevailing Trade Winds: Climate and Weather in Hawaií| publisher = University of Hawaii Press| date = 1993| page = 62| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=EIOFE_6JdzIC| isbn = 978-0-8248-1491-5}}</ref> [[Orographic lift]]ing produces the world's second-highest annual precipitation record, {{convert|12700|mm|in|abbr=on}}, on the island of [[Kauai]]; the leeward side is understandably rain-shadowed.<ref name="Whiteman"/> The entire island of [[Kahoolawe]] lies in the rain shadow of Maui's [[Haleakalā|East Maui Volcano]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}
* [[New Caledonia]] lies astride the [[Tropic of Capricorn]], between 19° and 23° south latitude. The climate of the islands is [[tropics|tropical]], and rainfall is brought by trade winds from the east. The western side of the Grande Terre lies in the rain shadow of the central mountains, and rainfall averages are significantly lower.
* On the [[South Island]] of [[New Zealand]] is found one of the most remarkable rain shadows anywhere on Earth. The [[Southern Alps]] intercept moisture coming off the Tasman Sea, precipitating about {{convert|6,300|to|8,900|mm|in|abbr=on}} liquid water equivalent per year and creating large [[glacier]]s on the [[West Coast, New Zealand|western side]]. To the east of the Southern Alps, scarcely {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the snowy peaks, yearly rainfall drops to less than {{convert|760|mm|in|abbr=on}} and some areas less than {{convert|380|mm|in|abbr=on}}. (see [[Nor'west arch]] for more on this subject).

===South America===
[[File:Satellite image of Bolivia in June 2002.jpg|thumb|230px|The Andes mountains block rain and moisture from the [[Amazon basin]] to the west ([[Bolivia]]).]]
* The [[Atacama Desert]] in [[Chile]] is the driest non-polar desert on Earth because it is blocked from moisture by the [[Andes Mountains]] to the east while the [[Humboldt Current]] causes persistent atmospheric stability.
* [[Cuyo (Argentina)|Cuyo]] and [[Patagonia|Eastern Patagonia]] is rain shadowed from the prevailing westerly winds by the [[Andes]] range and is arid. The aridity of the lands next to eastern piedmont of the Andes decreases to the south due to a decrease in the height of the Andes with the consequence that the [[Patagonian Desert]] develop more fully at the Atlantic coast contributing to shaping the climatic pattern known as the [[Arid Diagonal]].<ref name=Bruniard>{{cite journal |last=Bruniard |first=Enrique D. |date=1982 |title=La diagonal árida Argentina: un límite climático real |language=es |journal=Revista Geográfica |pages=5–20 }}</ref> The Argentinian wine region of Cuyo and Northern Patagonia is almost completely dependent on irrigation, using water drawn from the many rivers that drain glacial ice from the [[Andes]].
* The [[Guajira Peninsula]] in northern Colombia is in the rain shadow of the [[Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta]] and despite its tropical latitude is almost arid, receiving almost no rainfall for seven to eight months of the year and being incapable of cultivation without irrigation.