frostless zone

frostless zone

[′frȯst·ləs ‚zōn]

(meteorology)

The warmest part of a slope above a valley floor, lying between the layer of cold air which forms over the valley floor on calm clear nights and the cold hill tops or plateaus; the air flowing down the slopes is warmed by mixing with the air above ground level, and to some extent also by adiabatic compression. Also known as green belt; verdant zone.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.