Weather Front

Weather Front

Air Mass

• An air mass is a body of air with the same temperature and moisture throughout 

• Air masses that come from tropical places will be warm
  

• Air masses that come from polar places will be cool

• Air masses that originate from the ocean will contain a lot of moisture

Multiple Choice

What type of air mass do we typically have in Alabama?

• Cold dry

• Warm moist

• Hot dry

• Cold moist

Weather Front

• A front is a boundary (the front edge) between 2 different air masses

• There are four types of fronts

• Cold Front

• Warm Front
  

• Stationary Front 
  

• Occluded Front

Cold Front

• A moving mass of cold air

• When cold air mass and warm mass collide...cold air slides under the warm air pushing it up 

Multiple Select

Click all that apply that are describing a cold front

• Move fast

• causes long rainy days

• moves slowly

• causes thunderstorms

• causes fast weather changes

Cold Front

• Cold fronts move fast and cause abrupt weather changes, violent thunderstorms or tornadoes may form

• After a cold front passes cool, dry air moves in 

Cold Front

Warm Front

• As the cold air moves away, the warm air replaces it

• Since warm air is less dense, it rises above the cold air

• Warm fronts move slowly, so rainy weather usually stays around for days

warm front

Multiple Choice

What type of weather will you typically get with a warm front?

• Snow

• Tornadoes

• Rain

• Sun

Stationary Front

• A stationary front forms when a cold front or warm front stops moving.

• this happens when two masses of air are pushing against each other but neither is powerful enough to move the other.

• Water vapor condenses into rain, snow, fog, or clouds.

• A stationary front may stay put for days.

Stationary Front

Occluded Front

• The occluded fronts are a result of three air masses coming in contact with one another.

• The third air mass can be lifted up and trapped or sandwiched between the first two air masses

Poll

What type of weather do you think occluded fronts create?

• Tornadoes

• Hurricanes

• Clouds

• Rain

• Snow

Occluded Front

• Unsettled, cloudy weather is associated with occluded fronts 

Study the following image. What front is headed towards Texas?