cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air. apply this fact to explain why clouds and precipitation form on the windward side of the mountain.

Cool air can hold less water vapor than warm air because the capacity of air to retain moisture decreases as temperature drops. When moist, warm air moves up the windward side of a mountain, it rises and cools due to lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes (a process called adiabatic cooling). As the air cools, it reaches its dew point, and the water vapor condenses into clouds and eventually precipitation. This explains why clouds and precipitation form predominantly on the windward side of mountains. Specifically, moist air from a body of water or humid region is carried by prevailing winds towards the mountain. Upon encountering the mountain, the air is forced upward. The cooling air can't hold as much water vapor, so moisture condenses. This condensation releases latent heat, forming clouds and causing rainfall. After most moisture is lost, the drier air descends on the leeward side, warming again and creating a rain shadow effect with little precipitation. Thus, the fact that cool air holds less water vapor than warm air directly causes orographic precipitation on the windward mountain slopes while creating drier conditions on the leeward slopes.