1. OBJECTIVE: Describe the four major types of fronts.
INTRO: Weekly WS #26
What does temperature have to do with weather?
Do certain temperatures create certain types of weather?

2. Air Masses

3. Air Masses
Air mass
A large body of air where temperature and moisture content are constant throughout

4. Air Masses Types Maritime (m) Continental (c) Polar (P) Tropical (T)
Forms over water; wet
Continental (c)
Forms over land; dry
Polar (P)
Forms over polar regions; cold
Tropical (T)
Develops over the Tropics; warm

5. Cold Air Mass
Continental polar (cP)
Maritime polar (mP)
2 polar air masses that move South from Canada
Brings extremely cold winter weather to U.S.
Forms over water (Atlantic or Pacific Ocean)
Is cool and very wet

6. Maritime tropical (mT)
Warm Air Mass
Maritime tropical (mT)
Continental tropical (cT)
2 tropical air masses that move North from Mexico
Forms over water (Pacific, Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico)
Brings hot and humid weather
Can produce powerful thunderstorms and hurricanes
Forms over land
Brings clear, dry, and hot weather

7. Draw, Color & Label the Air Masses
PG. 490
Draw, Color & Label the Air Masses
Glue into notebook

8. Air Masses North America’s Air Masses (pg. 490) mP from the NW and NE
cP from the N
cT from the S
mT from the SW and SE

9. Summary What are the four air masses that effect the U.S.?
What kind of weather do they bring?

10. OBJECTIVE: Describe the four major types of fronts.
OUTRO:
Consider the map you’ve created. Explain why there is little rain in Las Vegas, even though the air mass moving towards it is wet.