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Es 20 2 Notes

This document describes different types of fronts: warm fronts, cold fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts. Warm fronts occur when warm air moves into cooler air, causing the warm air to rise slowly and produce light to moderate precipitation. Cold fronts move through more quickly as dense cold air forces warm air abruptly upwards, creating thunderstorms and heavy rain. Stationary fronts occur when warm and cold fronts meet but neither can advance, forming clouds and precipitation. Occluded fronts happen when a cold front overtakes a warm front, trapping warm air between two cooler air masses.

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40 views

Es 20 2 Notes

This document describes different types of fronts: warm fronts, cold fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts. Warm fronts occur when warm air moves into cooler air, causing the warm air to rise slowly and produce light to moderate precipitation. Cold fronts move through more quickly as dense cold air forces warm air abruptly upwards, creating thunderstorms and heavy rain. Stationary fronts occur when warm and cold fronts meet but neither can advance, forming clouds and precipitation. Occluded fronts happen when a cold front overtakes a warm front, trapping warm air between two cooler air masses.

Uploaded by

api-247049094
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Fronts

Chapter 20
Section 2

Fronts
an area where air masses meet and do not
mix forming a boundary
collisions often cause storms and
precipitation
Warm air rises above cooler (denser) air
One air mass generally moves faster due to
differences in pressure along the front
Classified according to temperature of
advancing front

1. Warm Front
Warm air moves into an area covered by
cooler air; warm is less dense and rises
Has a gradual slope; moves slowly

Cirrus cirrostratus altostratus nimbostratus

Produce light-moderate precipitation over


large area
Bring snow in the winter

2. Cold Front
Cold dense air moves into
a region with warmer air
Has a steep slope; moves through the
area faster than a warm front
Cold air forces warm air up abruptly
creating violent weather
thunderstorms, heavy rains, gusty winds,
decrease in temperature

3. Stationary Front
when cold and warm fronts meet but
neither one has enough force to move the
other
Surface position of the front does not
move - standoff
forms clouds, precipitation, fog

Occluded Front
Active cold front overtakes a warm front
Warm air is forced up and caught between
two cooler air masses
Temperature at the ground becomes cooler
Warm air cools, condenses into clouds with
precipitation

Middle-Latitude Cyclones
Large centers of low pressure that travel
West to East causing stormy weather
Have a cold an warm front extending from
the center of low pressure
Can exist for a week or longer
Air aloft (above/high up) fuels the cyclone

Cyclone Development
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

Front forms as 2 air masses move in opposite


directions
Front takes on a wave shape
Air flow and pressure changes at the surface
Cold front moves faster and catches up to
warm front occluding the warm air
Pressure in center decreases and wind speeds
increase

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