<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see WP:SDNONE -->
thumb|right|upright=2.2|Life zones of the Alps
The climate of the Alps is the climate, or average weather conditions over a long period of time, of the exact middle Alpine region of Europe. As air rises from sea level to the upper regions of the atmosphere the temperature decreases. The effect of mountain topography on prevailing winds is to force warm air from the lower region into an upper zone where it expands in volume at the cost of a proportionate loss of heat, often accompanied by the precipitation of moisture in the form of snow, rain or hail.
Climate as a function of elevation
Because air cools as it rises, the climate of the Alps is strongly dependent on the elevation. The Alps contain a number of different kinds of climate zones, by elevation. These zones can be described by the Köppen climate classification, and also correspond to the biotic zones of the Alps.
Up to approximately of elevation, the climate is classified as oceanic or Cfb under the Köppen system.
|date=16 December 2021
Between approximately , the climate changes to either a humid continental climate (Dfb under the Köppen system), or a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc), depending on location.
|date=16 December 2021
Between approximately , the climate becomes subarctic (Dfc under the Köppen system), with even shorter summers.
|date=16 December 2021
At about , the climate becomes too cold to support trees, and is classified as an alpine climate (ET under the Köppen system).
|date=16 December 2021
Above approximately , the climate transitions to an ice cap climate, where the mean temperature from 1976-2000 was always below . At these altitudes, no plants can grow and the ground is either rock or ice.