1. Air Masses and Fronts

2. JagMark #
In Weather! Test Review Packet

3. How does the weather change so fast?
Changes in weather are caused by the ___________ and __________ of ________.

4. How does the weather change so fast?
Changes in weather are caused by the movement and interaction of air masses.

5. What is An Air Mass?
An air mass is a huge body of air that has ________ temperature and moisture characteristics throughout.

6. What is An Air Mass?
An air mass is a huge body of air that has similar temperature and moisture characteristics throughout.

7. Air Masses
An air mass gets its moisture & temperature characteristics from the area over which it forms.

9. Air Masses
An air mass gets its __________ & _________ ____________from the area over which it ________.

10. An air mass gets its moisture and temperature characteristics from the area over which it forms. These areas are called source regions.
For example, an air mass that develops over the Gulf of Mexico is warm and wet because this area is warm and has a lot of water that evaporates into the air.

12. Maritime (m) Continental ( c) Polar (P) Tropical (T)
Types of Air Masses
When naming the different air masses, we use a two-letter symbol.
The first letter indicates the moisture conditions of the air mass.
Maritime (m)
Continental ( c)
Polar (P)
Tropical (T)

13. Which air mass directly affects Mississippi?

16. Maritime (___): forms over ______; ______
Types of Air Masses
Maritime (___): forms over ______; ______

17. Maritime (m): forms over water; wet
Types of Air Masses
Maritime (m): forms over water; wet

18. Continental (___): forms over ______; _____
Types of Air Masses
Continental (___): forms over ______; _____

19. Continental(c ) forms over land; dry
Types of Air Masses
Continental(c ) forms over land; dry

20. Polar (___): forms over _______ regions; _____
Types of Air Masses
Polar (___): forms over _______ regions; _____

21. Polar (P) forms over polar regions; cold
Types of Air Masses
Polar (P) forms over polar regions; cold

22. Tropical (___): forms over ______ regions; ______
Types of Air Masses
Tropical (___): forms over ______ regions; ______

23. Tropical (T): forms over tropical regions; warm
Types of Air Masses
Tropical (T): forms over tropical regions; warm

24. Fronts

25. Fronts
Air masses with different characteristics, such as temperature and humidity usually do not _________.

26. Fronts
Air masses with different characteristics, such as temperature and humidity usually do not mix.

27. When two __________ air masses meet, a boundary forms between them.
Fronts
When two __________ air masses meet, a boundary forms between them.

28. When two different air masses meet, a boundary forms between them.
Fronts
When two different air masses meet, a boundary forms between them.

29. The boundary between two different air masses is called a _________.
Fronts
The boundary between two different air masses is called a _________.

30. The boundary between two different air masses is called a front.
Fronts
The boundary between two different air masses is called a front.

31. Weather at a front is usually _________ and ________.

32. Weather at a front is usually Cloudy and stormy.

33. Cold Front Warm Front Occluded Front Stationary Front
4 Types of Fronts
Cold Front
Warm Front
Occluded Front
Stationary Front

34. Cold Front: A cold air mass meets and ________a ________ air mass.

35. Cold Front

36. Cold Front: A cold air mass meets and displaces a warm air mass.

37. Cold Front
Because the moving cold air is ________ dense, it moves under the less-dense warm air pushing ___.

38. Cold Fronts
Because the moving cold air is more dense, it moves under the less-dense warm air pushing up.

39. Cold Fronts Move fast Produce Thunderstorms, heavy rain or snow.
Cooler weather usually follows because the warm air is pushed away from Earth’s surface.

40. Warm Front
Warm Front: a warm air mass meets and ______a cold air mass. The warm, less-dense air moves ______ the cold, denser air. The warm air gradually ______ the cold air.

41. Warm Front
Warm Front: a warm air mass meets and overrides a cold air mass. The warm, less-dense air moves over the cold, denser air. The warm air gradually replaces the cold air.

42. Warm Front

43. Bring _________ precipitation.
Warm Front
Bring _________ precipitation.
After the front ________, weather conditions are _______and warm.

44. Bring drizzly precipitation.
Warm Front
Bring drizzly precipitation.
After the front passes, weather conditions are clear and warm.

45. Occluded Front

46. Occluded Front
Occluded Front: a faster-moving cold air mass ______a slower- moving warm air mass and forces the warm air ___.

47. Occluded Front
Occluded Front: a faster-moving cold air mass overtakes a slower-moving warm air mass and forces the warm air up.

48. Occluded Front
The cold air mass then continues ________until it meets a cold air mass that is slightly ________. The cold air mass then forces this air mass to ____.

49. Occluded Front
The cold air mass then continues advancing until it meets a cold air mass that is slightly warmer. The cold air mass then forces this air mass to rise.

50. Occluded Front
An occluded front has _____ temperatures and large amounts of ________________.

51. Occluded Front
An occluded front has cool temperatures and large amounts of precipitation.

52. Stationary front

53. Stationary Front
Stationary front: a cold air mass meets a warm air mass and little _________movement occurs.

54. Stationary Front
Stationary front: a cold air mass meets a warm air mass and little horizontal movement occurs.

55. Weather produced by stationary fronts are similar to _______ fronts.

56. Weather produced by stationary fronts are similar to warm fronts.

57. What are the characteristics that define air masses?

58. Let’s Match continental © Warm Area Polar (P) Cool Area Humid Area
maritime (m)
Tropical (T)
Warm Area
Cool Area
Humid Area
Dry Area