Description of a Cold Front

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Description of a Cold Front
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Description of a Cold Front

• A cold front is formed when a mass of
  cold/cooler air runs into a mass of slower moving
  or stationary warm air.
• Since cold air is more dense than warm air, the
  warm air is forced to rise up and over the cold
  front.

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Description of a Cold Front

• Another result of the cold air being denser than
  the warm air that the cold front is steeper
  nearly vertical than a warm front.
• Because the warm, moist/wet air is forced to rise
  rapidly, the clouds that are formed are often
  cumulonimbus (thick/towering).

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Description of a Cold Front

• Cold fronts can move slowly, but they can also
  move quickly up to 100 km/hr.
• Thus the rain can last a long time or it can be
  over quickly.
• The sudden change of temperature with a passing
  cold front can lead to intense winds, as well.

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Description of a Cold Front

• If the cold front is very different in
  temperature from the warmer air, tornadoes and
  even thunderstorms can be formed.