Coeur dâAlene sits on a small spit at the north end of a large lake of the same name. The setting is decidedly attractive, with lake views on three sides of downtown and mountains on all sides looking south. The mountains are densely forested with fir trees, while trees in the immediate area of the town are sparse.
Jet streams are like rivers of wind high above in the atmosphere. These slim strips of strong winds have a huge influence on climate, as they can push air masses around and affect weather patterns.
Cold air flooding southwards forms the low-pressure troughs. The two components to jet stream flow - west-east and north-south - are referred to as zonal and meridional flows respectively. The straighter a west-east line the jet stream takes, the more zonal it is said to be.