noun
cold, strong, dry wind
Refers to a biting, dry winter wind, often associated with the Kantō region. The word evokes a sense of harsh, parching cold.
冬の関東では、空っ風が吹き荒れる。
In winter in the Kantō region, a cold, dry wind blows fiercely.
空っ風で肌がカサカサになった。
My skin became dry and rough from the cold, dry wind.
Compound of 空 (から, 'empty, dry') + っ (emphatic gemination) + 風 (かぜ, 'wind'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the dry, harsh winds of the Kantō plain.