What is Cierzo?
Cierzo is the name given to a cold, dry and very strong wind that blows from the north. Specifically, the cerzo is characteristic of the Aragon region, in Spain.
The word, as such, comes from the Latin cercĭus or circĭus , which in turn could come from circus , which means ‘circle’, in reference to the turbulent and vertiginous character of this wind.
The cerzo originates from the Ebro river valley, as a consequence of pressure differences between the Cantabrian Sea and the Mediterranean. It mainly affects the regions of Navarra and Aragon, although it can extend to France.
It can occur any time of the year, however, it is more common in winter and early spring. Some of its consequences, apart from those associated with the aridity caused by its dryness, is that it brings a clear sky and a calm time.
The windfall is a wind that becomes so strong that there are ancient testimonies, such as that of Marco Porcio Catón, in the 2nd century BC. C., that he could knock down loaded carts or knock people down.
In this sense, in the Ebro valley region, life is largely conditioned by the deer. Farmers protect their crops from both the force of the winds and the dryness that causes them, which is why they must build barriers or fences to protect them.
Due to its characteristics, some people associate it with the Tramuntana, in the Ampurdán area, the mistral, in the Rhone valley, or the bora, in the Balkans.
Synonyms of cerzo could be: sarsaganillo, sarsagan, boreas, aquilón, cercera or regañón.
For its part, in English, cerzo could be translated as north wind. For example: ” The north wind was blowing very strongly about the city .”
