Frontal

Depression
Exploring Frontal Depression
 FRONTAL DEPRESSION

frontal depression is a low-pressure area formed at the

boundary between two different air masses. It occurs in middle
or higher latitudes. Series of the following one after the other is
known as ‘family of frontal depressions’.

The formation of a frontal depression is called ‘frontogenesis‘.

The warm air must travel faster than the cold air or both must
travel in opposite directions. The front depression starts a
small bulge of warm air in the cold air. The bulge then
increases in size and the isobars in the cold air begin to bend
accordingly.
Since the density of warm air is less than that of the cold air,
the bulge is an area of low pressure surrounded by areas of
high pressure on three sides.
The bent isobars take closed shapes and the winds blow
spirally inward, anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere.
The isobars inside the bulge remain straight and roughly
parallel to the original boundary between the two air masses.
On crossing the front, the isobars change direction by 90
degrees. Because of this, when a front passes over a place,
the wind suddenly veers by 90° in the NH and backs by 90° in
the SH.
The entire system will move in the same direction as the warm
air mass and with approximately the same speed as the warm
air mass.
 Weather Associated with Frontal Depression

Weather Sequence on the passage of a Frontal Depression in NH

A) At Point ‘A’: Well before the warm front

Atmospheric pressure falls steadily.

Wind direction is steady and wind force is increasing

Temperature is slowly rising.

There is continuous heavy rain or snow.

Visibility is good except during showers.

B) At Point ‘B’: Just before the Warm Front

Atmospheric pressure stops falling and becomes steady.

Wind suddenly veers by 90° (backs in SH)

Wind force becomes steady.

Temperature suddenly rises quickly.

Precipitation stops, but mist or fog is present, because of

which, visibility is poor.
C) At Point ‘C’: After the Warm Front, before the Cold Front

Atmospheric pressure is constant.

Wind direction, wind force and temperature are all steady.
Sky is cloudy and there is drizzle, fog or mist, because of
which, visibility is poor.

D) At Point ‘D’: At the Cold Front / Just after Cold Front

passes

Atmospheric Pressure suddenly rises

Wind suddenly veers by about 90°. (backs in the SH)
Wind force is significantly high giving rise to squalls.
The temperature suddenly falls.
There is heavy rain, thunder and lightning.
Visibility is poor due to rain squalls.
E) At Point ‘E’: Well after the Cold Front passes

Atmospheric pressure rises slowly.

Wind direction becomes steady again.
Wind force gradually decreases & temperature becomes
steady.
There are occasional showers, during which the visibility is
poor. Otherwise, visibility is very good.
FRONTOLYSIS

Frontolysis is the decay or weakening and final dissipation of a

frontal depression.

The first step is the formation of ‘occlusions’.

The cold air in front of and behind the warm sector of a frontal
depression soon manages to undercut the warm air and lift it
completely above the sea level. The depression is then said to
be occluded.
There are three stages of decay of a frontal depression.
Frontolysis – Decay of a frontal depression

• If after the passage of an occlusion, the air temperature is lower

than before, the occlusion is said to be cold occlusion.
• If after the passage of an occlusion, the air temperature is higher
than before, the occlusion is said to be a warm occlusion.
• On the passage of an occlusion, the wind veers more for cold
occlusions than for warm. (backs in SH)
• Weather associated with warm and cold occlusions is similar to
that of the warm and cold front but just milder.
• Within a few days of the occlusions, the frontal depression fills
up and is no longer visible on the weather maps.
Frontal Depression on Weather Chart
 Development of a depression
Stage 1 – Origin and infancy
The depression usually starts life as a wave, shown on a chart
by ‘buckling’ on a front. At this stage, the air is warm to the
south of the front and relatively cold to the north of it. The
weather in the warm air can vary from fine and sunny to
cloudy, sometimes with drizzle and perhaps even with fog.
The type of cloud is layered or stratiform and is not very thick.
In the cold air, there is usually some cloud, but it tends to be
more broken, appearing as discrete speckles on a satellite
image. The cloud is cumuliform and can often be large enough
to produce showers. Figure 7 shows an example of a ‘wave’
on a synoptic chart, whilst Figure 8 shows the infrared satellite
image for the same time.

In warm air, the weather can vary from warm and sunny to dull
and drizzly
Colder air is more showery, but with some sunshine too.
Stage 2 – Maturity

As the depression develops, the pressure around it falls,

leading to more tightly packed isobars. This causes winds to be
stronger and, at the same time, the buckle in the front becomes
much more marked (see Figure 9), with distinct warm and cold
fronts being formed. Warm air is pushed towards the north
while colder air drives southwards. The region between the
warm and cold front is called the warm sector. The cloud near
the fronts thickens and the frontal zone becomes broader,
which means that rain is more prolonged, becoming heavier
nearer the front. However, it is often the case that one front is
more active than the other. At this stage, the heaviest rain
occurs near the centre of the low. Figure 9 shows an example
of a mature ‘depression’ on a synoptic chart, whilst Figure 10
shows the infrared satellite image for the same time.

The weather on or near a front is usually cloudy, with

precipitation that may vary from virtually nothing on a weak
front to a torrential downpour on a particularly active one
Stage 3 – Occlusion
The fronts move at a speed indicated by the separation between the isobars
along them, although the speed of the warm front is about two-thirds of this.
Consequently, the cold front is usually faster than the warm front. Cold air is
denser than warm air, which it replaces at the surface, causing the warm air to lift
and the warm sector to become progressively smaller. The cold air increasingly
undercuts the warm air, initially from near the centre of the low, leading to the
development of an occluded front, or occlusion (see Figure 11).

The rainfall usually becomes more sporadic on an occlusion, with the heaviest
rain occurring near the triple point (see Figure 11), where all three types of front
meet. By this stage, a depression is now in its mature stage, the pressure of its
centre stops falling and starts to rise. Cold air has been brought well to the south,
often over areas with higher surface temperatures. This can lead to particularly
heavy showers, some of which may be thundery. Showers sometimes become
organised into lines, which can be indicated on the weather chart by troughs (see
Figure 11). Figure 11 shows an example of an occluded depression on a synoptic
chart, whilst Figure 12 shows the infrared satellite image for the corresponding
time.

Troughs are organised lines of precipitation, which can often be quite heavy
TABLE 1: WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSAGE OF A CLASSIC DEPRESSION

AHEAD OF THE PASSAGE OF THE PASSAGE OF THE

WARM SECTOR COLD SECTOR
WARM FRONT WARM FRONT COLD FRONT

Pressure starts to fall steadily continues to fall steadies starts to rise continues to rise

Temperature quite cold, starts to rise continues to rise quite mild sudden drop remains cold

cloud base drops and clouds thicken

cloud base is low and cloud may thin and clouds thin with some
Cloud cover thickens (cirrus and (sometimes with large
thick (nimbostratus) break cumulus
altostratus) cumulonimbus)

veers and becomes speeds increase,

Wind speed and speeds increase and remain steady, backs
blustery with strong sometimes to gale winds are squally
direction direction backs slightly
gusts force, sharp veer

none at first, rain closer continues, and heavy rain, sometimes

rain turns to drizzle or
Precipitation to front, sometimes sometimes heavy with hail, thunder or showers
stops
snow on leading edge rainfall sleet
Here's how you can use Buys Ballot's Law to determine the center of a
cyclone system:

Identify the Wind Direction: Determine the direction from which the wind is
blowing. This can be done using a wind vane, weather vane, or by
observing the movement of clouds or other indicators.

Stand with Your Back to the Wind: Position yourself so that your back is
facing the direction from which the wind is blowing.

Locate the Low-Pressure Center: In the Northern Hemisphere, the low-

pressure center will be to your left. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be to
your right.

By applying Buys Ballot's Law, you can estimate the location of the
cyclone's center relative to your position. However, it's important to note
that Buys Ballot's Law provides a rough estimate and may not always be
accurate, especially in complex weather systems or regions with variable
wind patterns. Additionally, other factors such as terrain, friction, and local
atmospheric conditions can influence wind direction and the behavior of
cyclones.
 Terminology & Definitions Associated With Frontal Zones

Air Mass – A large body of air with similar horizontal

temperature and moisture (density) characteristics. Skew-T
soundings throughout the air mass will be similar.

Transition Zone (frontal zone) – A region of large horizontal

temperature contrast between two air masses. The
transition zone is characterized by a packing of thickness
lines and isotherms (often called the thermal ribbon).
Frontal Surface – The boundary separating one air mass from
another. Across the frontal surface, distinct contrasts in
temperature, moisture, and wind exist. The frontal surface is
along the warm side of the transition zone.

Frontal Surface
THANK YOU
AND
GODBLESS
Climate is what we expect,
weather is what we get." - Mark
Twain