Cold air wedges under warmer air and warm air rises rapidly forming clouds

Cumulus clouds form, thunderstorms may occur, heavy precipitation of short duration, gusty winds, cold temps

Warm air rises slowly above cold air, low stratus clouds, days of light precipitation, warm temps

Warm Front Characteristics

Compare cold front vs. warm front

COLD FRONT

WARM FRONT

Cold front has steeper slope

Warm and Cold Fronts

Stationary Front
cold and warm air masses meet but do not move

clouds form, precipitation lasts for as long as the air masses stay put

Stationary Front

Occluded Front
warm air is wedged between two cold air masses

Development of an Occluded Front

Along a front there is:

a. increasing clouds b. precipitation

As the front passes there will be:

a. winds and change in wind direction
b. change in air temp and pressure c. change in weather

cP air mass mT air mass warm, moist air Low Pressure Center dry, cool air High Pressure Area

Label the warm and cold fronts

How to tell where a front belongs on a map.

A front will be located where the temperature changes rapidly in a short distance. Isotherms will be close together.

30F

35F 30F 40F 25F

Warmer air
45F

Cooler Air
35F 40F

50F

50F

45F

So how do I know which way the front is moving?

Look at the winds on both sides of the front. On one side, the winds will be pushing the front. On the other side, the winds will be retreating from the front.

Almost There! How do you know if it is a cold or warm front?

Put yourself in front of the front. Ask yourself: Self, what kind of air am I in now: warm or cold? Then ask yourself: Self, what kind of air will I be in after the front passes? If it got cooler, it is a cold front. If it got warmer, it is a warm front.

Im in warm air now

Cooler air

Warmer air

Hey it got colder!

It must be a cold front

Cooler air

Warmer air

Cooler air

Boy, its pretty cool

Warmer air

It must be a warm front

Cooler air

Warmer air
Aah! Nice and warm.

Warm Air

Cool Air

Warm air rises because it is light & fluffy.

A Cumulonimbus Cloud Thunderhead

Rain

Storms are very small, 20-50 miles or so and last only a brief time.

20-50 miles

Frontal interface

Warm air is light and fluffy and it likes to float!

Warm Air

Cool Air

Warm Air

Cool Air

First come the Cirrus

Which way is the weather coming from?

Such clouds! Its pretty cirrus cool now

The warm front gets closer

Hmmm, the clouds are getting lower and thicker

Clouds get lower and thicker

Darn! Its starting to drizzle.

Lower and thicker then gentle rain for a long time.

Its much warmer now