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A 'cold front' is defined as the leading edge of a cooler and drier mass of air.^[1] The air with greater density wedges under the less dense warmer air, lifting it, which can cause the formation a narrow line of showers and thunderstorms when enough moisture is present. This upward motion causes lowered pressure along the cold front. On weather maps, the surface position of the cold front is marked with the symbol of a blue line of triangles/spikes (pips) pointing in the direction of travel. Cold fronts can move up to twice as fast as warm fronts.

Contents

Movement

See Also

References

External Links

Movement

Cold fronts are closely associated with low pressure systems, normally lying equatorward of these cyclones, at the leading edge of high pressure systems and, in the case of the polar front, at approximately the equatorward edge of the high-level polar jet stream. The stronger its parent cyclone is, the faster and farther south the cold front will progress. The colder air behind these boundaries, due to its increased density, wedges under the less dense warmer air, lifting it, causing the formation of clouds with vertical development, the cumulus variety. If enough moisture is present, a narrow line of showers and thunderstorms is coincident with the frontal boundary. Squall lines, tornadoes, and snow can be associated with a cold frontal passage. The passage of a cold front usually results in a wind shift from southwest to northwest in the northern hemisphere and from northwest to southwest in the southern hemisphere. The air behind the cold front is generally drier and cooler than that which it is replacing. On weather maps, the surface position of the cold front is marked with the symbol of a blue line of triangles/spikes (pips) pointing in the direction of travel. Cold fronts can move up to twice as fast as warm fronts. The movement of cold fronts can be slowed down by geographic features like mountains and large bodies of warm water.^[2]

See Also

★ Extratropical cyclone

★ Surface weather analysis

★ Weather fronts

References

1. University of Illinois. Cold Front. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.
2. David Roth. Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. Unified Surface Analysis Manual. Retrieved on 2006-10-22.

External Links

★ Cold Front.