Understanding Fronts

A 3-D grasp on fronts and

frontal movements and
cyclones

Air Masses
An

air mass is a defined as a large

body of air with very similar
characteristics.
Generally speaking, air masses are
generally defined by temperature and
dewpoints (moisture parameters.)
Air masses are named based on the
source region of the air mass itself

Types of Air Masses

Continental Polar, cold and dry

Originates closer to the Poles over

land-locked regions.

Continental Tropical, warm and

dry
Originates closer to the Tropics
over land-locked regions.

Maritime Polar, cold and damp

Originates closer to the Poles over

water.

Maritime Tropical, warm and

humid

Originates closer to the Tropics

over water.

Arctic, very cold

Originates in the very cold landlocked areas

Analyzing Air Masses

An

air mass is most easily identified by

comparing it to other air masses.
Air masses can be modified with time,
most notably by days of sunshine or lack
thereof.
Fronts are the dividing line between air
masses so understanding air masses,
means understanding where fronts are
located.

What is a Front?
Definition:

A narrow transition zone, or

boundary, between disparate synoptic scale
air masses whose primary discontinuity is
density. It is synoptic scale along the length of
the front but mesoscale across the front itself.
Commonly associated with ..

Moisture gradient
Temperature gradient
Wind shift
Pressure Trough
Convergent boundary

Rules for finding fronts

Look for a strong temperature gradient. The front is

located on the warm side of the sharpest gradient.
Likewise, look for a strong dewpoint gradient. The front
is located on the moist side of the sharpest gradient.
Generally found in a pressure trough look for three
hour pressure changes. Fronts will show a decrease in
pressure followed by a rapid increase in pressure after
the frontal passage.
Look for a sharp change in wind direction. A cyclonic
shear in the wind direction usually indicates a frontal
passage
Check weather and cloud patterns that are usually
associated with different kinds of fronts (more later on
this.)

Types of Fronts

Cold

Noted by cold air advancing

and displacing warmer air
that exists.

Warm

Noted by cold air retreating

from an area.

Stationary

While differing air masses

exist along a boundary,
little movement is analyzed
of the air masses.

Occluded

A complicated process
where the surface low
becomes completely
surrounded by cooler/cold
air. Occlusion processes can
be a cool type or cold
type (more later.)

Cold Front

Marked

on a map with a blue line and

blue triangles pointing towards the warm
air.
Slopes of 1/50 to 1/150
Associated with cumulus &
cumulonimbus clouds ahead of the front
in the warm air, producing showers and
thunderstorms.

Cold Front
Simple

3-D idea:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html

Cold Front

http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/images/cold-front.gif

Cold Front
An

animation:

Warm Front

Marked

on a map by a red line with red

semi-circles pointed towards the cool air
(in the direction the warm air is retreating
to.)
Slope ranges from 1/100 to 1/300.
Generally associated with stratus type
clouds, overcast skies, fog, and general
rain or snow.

Warm Front
Simple

3-D idea:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html

Warm Front

http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/images/warm-front.gif

Warm Front
An

animation:

Stationary Front
Marked

by alternating blue lines & blue

triangles (pointed in the direction of the
warmer air) and red lines & red semicircles (pointed in the direction of the
cooler air)
Usually noted as *quasi*-stationary as it is
rarely ever completely stationary. It tends
to meander a bit.

Occluded Front
Marked

by a purple line with

alternating purple triangles and purple
semi-circles, all pointing in the
direction of the frontal movement.
There are two general types of
occlusions, cool-type and cold-type.
Examples to follow.

Occluded Front
Simple

3-D idea:

http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/7r.html

Occluded Front

http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/images/occluded-front.gif

Cyclones: Putting it all

together
There

are two types of cyclones,

tropical/warm core and extratropical/cold
core.
Extratropical cyclones are characterized
by having differing air masses frontal
movements where tropical cyclones do
not.
We will concern ourselves with
extratropical cyclones in this presentation.

Cyclones: Putting it all

together
Typically,

cyclones are represented by using

the Norwegian Cyclone model. It is
simplistic, but a good way to start when
understanding surface lows and cyclones.
Students must begin to understand the four
dimensional view of a cyclone

North-South
East-West
Up-Down
Time

The cyclone

Cyclones: Norwegian Model

Step

1: A subtle boundary exists

Surface View

Images source:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/cyclone.htm

3-D View

Cyclones: Norwegian Model

Step

2: A wave forms on the boundary

Surface View

Images source:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/cyclone.htm

3-D View

Cyclones: Norwegian Model

Step

3: Cyclone becomes mature

Surface View

Images source:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/cyclone.htm

3-D View

Cyclones: Norwegian Model

Step

4: The occlusion process

Surface View

Images source:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/cyclone.htm

3-D View

Cyclones: Norwegian Model

Step

5: Cold air dominates, near the

end.
Surface View

Images source:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/cyclone.htm

3-D View

Cyclone: On satellite

Cyclone

Cyclone
Radar

& Satellite view of a cyclone

Occlusion

Occlusion
Warm Front

Warm Front

Cold Front
Cold Front

A cyclone centered just south of Wichita, KS. Fronts well developed

The cyclone six hours later, near Kansas City. A mature

cyclone
at this point with well developed fronts. Do you see them?

Another six hours, the cyclone (low) is beginning to

occlude. The surface low is being surrounded by the
colder air.

Another six hours, the cyclone (low) is now fully

occluded. The surface low is completely within the
colder air mass.

Another six hours, the cold front has surged well east
while the center of the cyclone has remained over the
Midwest.

Animation of a cyclone

Review: Finding the fronts

Rule number one for

finding fronts was to
look for a strong
temperature gradient
or change in
temperature.
Do you see one here?
Would you agree that
the air mass in the
Dakotas is not the
same as the one that
exists near Kentucky?

Review: Finding the fronts

Rule number two for

finding fronts was to
look for a strong
dewpoint gradient,
or change.
Do you see one
here?
If so, is it roughly in
the same location
as the temperature
gradient in the
previous slide?

Review: Finding the fronts

Rule number three

for finding fronts
was to look for a
strong pressure
gradient, or change.
Strong falls followed
by strong rises.
Rule number four is
to look for a strong
wind shift (the
yellow vectors.)
Do you see these
here?

Note: in this image, the dashed blue lines

represent pressure rises while the solid blue
lines represent pressure falls. The numbers
represent millibars per three hours of fall or
rise. The yellow vectors point in the direction
the wind is blowing towards.

Review: Finding the fronts

The

last rule is to check cloud and

weather patterns.

Review: Finding the fronts

Every cyclone presents

unique characteristics.
While the satellite and
radar didnt show the
front well, the
temperature, wind, and
moisture analyses
provided a clear cut
picture of where this front
should be analyzed.
The rules for finding
fronts should not imply
that all the rules need to
be met. It means that you
need to use all those
tools to find a front.
Often, fronts are very
subtle and only one rule
might be useful.
Did you get it right?

Advanced tools: Soundings

From the same date as
the previous images,
this is the sounding from
Omaha at 6pm.
The sounding shows well
the slope of the cold
front. Notice the cold air
has settled in very well
from the surface to
around 880mb, and
notice the wind shift to
go along with that.

Advanced tools: Soundings

From the same date as
the previous images,
this is the sounding from
Lincoln, IL at 6pm.
The sounding is taken
before the front has
passed, within the warm
sector (where a
maritime tropical air
mass exists.)
Notice the difference
between the low levels
of the Omaha soundings
vs. this sounding,
including the low level
winds.

Advanced: Cross Section

Riverton

North Platte
Omaha
Davenport
Rapid City
Aberdeen
Chanhassen
Lincoln

Gaylord
White Lake

Advanced: Using Profilers

Advanced: Using forecast LI

Advanced: Forecast Precip &

Thicks

The slope of the front

Temperatures at the surface with frontal features overlaid.

The slope of the front

Temperatures at 850 millibars (about 1400 meters

above the surface) with frontal features overlaid.
Notice the cold front is a little further west and the
warm front is a little further north. The low is a little
further northwest, as well.

The slope of the front

Temperatures at 700 millibars (about 2900 meters

above the surface) with frontal features overlaid.
Notice, again, the cold front is a little further west and
the warm front is a little further north than at 850.
The low is even further northwest.