A British TikToker Who Moved To Alberta Was So Confused After A Chinook & Locals Warned Her

People who don't live in Alberta might be confused when they move there or visit, and suddenly the temperature jumps up by 20 degrees or more.

A TikToker who moved to Calgary wasn't in the know, but was happy to get a break from the brutal Canadian winter when she experienced her first chinook.

People on TikTok were quick to warn her though — it's not all melting ice and light jackets.

For anyone out there who has never heard of chinook winds, according to Parks Canada, a chinook is a "strong wind which rapidly descends the lee side of mountain slopes. As the air falls, it becomes warm and very dry."

Although they can happen year-round, they're definitely a lot more noticeable in cold weather.

In winter, it's basically when the air quickly changes to spring-like temperatures that can last from less than an hour to days.

It seems like no one gave this British TikToker a heads-up about them though!

While she was pleasantly surprised by the warm weather, locals warned about the headaches that come with them. Literally.

"The Chinook comes within massive pressure differences though and causes migraines and headaches in many. I had to leave Calgary," one TikToker wrote in the comments.

"The warm periods a great, but you can get wicked headaches and migraines. Always keep some Advil on hand," another said.

The comments were filled with migraine warnings, as well as advice on how to properly pronounce the word "chinook".

"Shi-nook. And yes we all get headaches and we get them constantly," one TikToker said.

According to AccuWeather, "the term Chinook is derived from the Native American people who lived in the geographical area from where the wind originates."

"The Chinook people lived in the vicinity of the Columbia River, which forms the present-day boundary of Washington and Oregon," the weather site said.

The Chinook Nation website said that "the CH in Chinook is pronounced like the CH in church, chickadee or child."