Fronts
Fronts Formed when two air masses collide A front is a narrow region separating two air masses of different characteristics (temperature, density)
Cold Front Cold air pushes warm air up quickly This front moves rapidly
Cold Front, cont’ Cumulus and Cumulonimbus clouds are present May cause thunderstorms and tornadoes
Solid blue line with blue triangles that point in the direction that the front is moving
Warm Fronts Warm air “slides over” cold air Moves slower
Warm Fronts, cont’ Less severe weather that lasts longer Cloudy (stratus) and precipitation (steady light rain or snow)
Solid red line with red semicircles that point in the direction that the front is moving
Stationary Front Two air masses meet and neither one is strong enough to push the other out of the way
Stationary Front, cont’ The weather associated with stationary fronts are like warm fronts Last a few days or change into a cold/warm front This front is characterized by a combination of cold and warm front symbols on a weather map
Occluded Front Forms when a cold front is moving faster than a warm front; the cold front catches up to, and takes over, the warm front Precipitation is common on both sides of the front – can be light or heavy Occluded fronts are represented by alternating symbols for warm and cold fronts
Pressure Systems High pressure is formed by sinking air H and L’s on weather maps = High and Low Pressure Areas High pressure is formed by sinking air Usually associated with nice weather since sinking air doesn’t form clouds Low pressure is formed by rising air Usually associated with bad weather because of air rising, forming clouds, leading to precipitation
H = Happy Weather L = Lousy Weather
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