Fronts and Frontal Systems

Objectives

Describe the boundaries between air masses (fronts)

Define front and frontal surface (frontal zone)
Name the global frontal systems (polar front, arctic front)
State the approximate seasonal latitudes and geographic positions of
the polar front and the arctic front

Warm front, associated clouds and weather

Define a warm front
Describe the cloud, weather, ground visibility and aviation hazards at a
warm front depending on the stability of the warm air
Explain the seasonal differences in the weather at warm fronts
Describe the structure, slope and dimensions of a warm front
Sketch a cross-section of a warm front, showing weather, cloud and
aviation hazards
 Fronts and Frontal Systems

Objectives

Cold front, associated clouds and weather

Define a cold front
Describe the cloud, weather, ground visibility and aviation hazards at a
cold front depending on the stability of the warm air
Explain the seasonal differences in the weather at cold fronts
Describe the structure, slope and dimensions of a cold front
Sketch a cross-section of a cold front, showing weather, cloud and
aviation hazards
 Fronts and Frontal Systems

Objectives

Warm sector, associated clouds and weather

Define fronts and air masses associated with the warm sector
Describe the cloud, weather, ground visibility and aviation hazards in a
warm sector
Explain the seasonal differences in the weather in the warm sector
Sketch a cross-section of a warm sector, showing weather, cloud and
aviation hazards
Fronts

Introduction

When air masses with different

temperature and humidity meet, we call this a
“Front”.

Although air masses do not mix easily, there will be

a frontal zone rather than a line between them. This
zone may extend from .5nm to 100nm depending on
the type of front.
Fronts
Global Frontal Systems
Fronts
Quasi Stationary Front

WIND IS Blow.NL
PERPENDICULAR ATT
ISOBARC AT THE
FRONTAI POSITION
Fronts
Cold Front

Frontal Surface (Zone)

Up to .5nm across
1:50 slope 80
1

Ü
Fronts
Warm Front

Frontal Surface (Zone)

Up to 100nm across
1:150 slope

gira
Fronts
Isobars at Fronts
Fronts
Isobars at Fronts

Éi
Fronts
Speed of movement of fronts

Warm Front
Travels at 2/3 of geostrophic wind,
If measured wind from chart is
30 knots, then the front moves at
20 knots.

Cold Fronts move at full geostrophic

wind speed.

Cold front 25 30kt Ahonaveras

Warm
1T 20kt
Fronts
Speed of movement of fronts

How to use the Geostrophic Wind Scale

Geostrophic Wind Scale for 2hPa isobars at latitude 55N

Scale
1 5,000,000

100 50 30 20 15 10 5KT
75 40 25

Measured wind 20kts

Measure wind strength from here.

Fronts
Cold front near the surface

Direction of movement

Cold Air Warm Air

Nose overhang
Fronts
Special Terms

growing
Frontogenesis pls

dissipating
Ist

Frontolysis
Fronts
Depressions

A polar low pressure

system

PM

PM

I
A polar frontal low
pressure system

Paap FRONT DEPRENION

TM
Fronts
Position of Polar Front

Cine
straight
Not
Fronts
PFD Development

PM
L
Intrusion into polar
TM front
Fronts
PFD Development

Ciculation begins

PM

TM
Fronts
PFD Development

PM

L
TM

Well developed warm

and cold fronts
Fronts
Direction of
movement

PM

Roughly the direction

of the 1st and 2nd L
isobars in the warm
sector
TM
Fronts
PFD Development

L
PM

TM

Occlusion
Fronts
PFD Frontal Cloud

A Warm Front Cross Section

Fronts
PFD Frontal Cloud

A Cold Front Cross Section

Fronts
PFD Frontal Cloud

Warm & Cold Fronts Together

Fronts
PFD Development

SH Polar Front
Depression ?

SECTOR
WARM

WARMFRONT
torno
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
t I mp
ST&SC l
Il Il
mp
Drizzle Il Virgo
Sit
MTN

Behind of the At the Cold In the Warm At the warm Ahead of the
Cold Front Front Sector Front warm front

Surface Steady or Sharp veer, Steady, Veer Speed

wind slight veer to gusts and usually from increase, slight
velocity NW squalls likely the SW backing usually
Southerly
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the At the Ahead of

Cold Front Front Warm warm Front the warm
Sector front
Temperature Steady low Sudden fall Steady Gradual rise Steady low
(polar) (tropical) (polar)
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the Warm At the warm Ahead of the
Cold Front Front Sector Front warm front
Dew Point
Steady low Sudden fall Steady Gradual rise Steady low
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the Warm At the warm Ahead of the
Cold Front Front Sector Front warm front
Pressure Initially may Starts to rise Steady Stops falling Steady fall
fall
Then Rises
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the Warm At the warm Ahead of the
Cold Front Front Sector Front warm front

Cloud 6/8, base 6/8 to 8/8, 6/8 to 8/8, 8/8, base Increasing to
cover lifting, CU, base low but breaks may very low, NS, 8/8 base
CB rising, CU, occur, base ST lowering, CI,
CB, low, ST, SC CS, AS, NS,
sometimes possible FS
NS
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the At the warm Ahead of the

Cold Front Front Warm Front warm front
Sector
Precipitation Showers, heavy Heavy rain Light rain, Moderate Light
at times, hail or snow drizzle continuous continuous
and showers, from AS
thundershowers thunder and becoming
possible hail possible moderate
continuous
from NS
Fronts
CC CI
CS
AC
AS
CB Low NS
ST&SC

Behind of the At the Cold In the Warm At the warm Ahead of the
Cold Front Front Sector Front warm front

Visibility Very Good, Poor Very poor, Reducing

good, except in frontal to poor
except in showers fog can
showers occur
KATA and ANA FRONTS

Cross Section through warm and cold Kata Fronts

30,000ft

20,000ft

10,000ft
Thick Sc Sc Thick Sc Cu
Cu

Cross Section through warm and cold Ana Fronts

30,000ft
Embedded Cb
Cs Ci
Cc/Cs
As 20,000ft
Ac
Ns Ns
Cb 10,000ft
Cu Sc Cu

An active cold front with unstable warm air in the warm sector (Ana Front) mainly during Summer
will produce CBs and thunderstorms.
If the air in the warm sector is stable (Kata Front), then nimbostratus and alto stratus can form on
a have a cold the cold front
On front
https://youtu.be/D88dYNFyBq8
Fronts
PFD Frontal Cloud

Life cycle of a polar front depression

Fronts
PFD Questions

35,000 ft

30,000 ft

20,000 ft

10,000 ft
Fronts
Occlusions

Cold and warm fronts move at different speeds so eventually

the cold front in a PFD will overtake the warm front
Fronts
Warm Occlusion Winter
Fronts
Cold Occlusion
Fronts
Occlusions

Movement of the point of occlusion

Fronts
Occlusions

Back bent occlusion

Fronts
Occlusions – Time Periods

4 days to reach lowest pressure, further 10 days to fill

PM
PM
PM
L
L L
TM TM
TM

L L
PM
PM

TM
TM
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