Air Masses and Fronts

Warm air mass overtakes cold air mass and rises above. 

• warm front
• cold front
• occluded front
• stationary front

Cold air mass overtakes a warm air mass and moves below the warm air mass. 

• warm front
• cold front
• occluded front
• stationary front

Creates heavy downpours , thunderstorms, and sometimes violent weather

• Warm front
• Cold front
• Stationary front
• Occluded front

Creates slow, steady light precipitation.

• Warm front
• Cold front
• Stationary front
• Occluded front

Cold air mass and warm air mass meet and neither can move the other. 

• Warm front
• Cold front
• Stationary front
• Occluded front

Creates many days of rain.

• Warm front
• Cold front
• Stationary front
• Occluded front

A warm air mass is caught between 2 cold air masses creating medium to heavy precipitation.

• warm front
• cold front
• stationary front
• occluded front

Humid, cool air mass

• Continental polar
• Maritime polar
• Continental tropical
• Maritime tropical

Humid, warm air mass

• Continental polar
• Maritime polar
• Continental tropical
• Maritime tropical

Dry warm air mass

• Continental tropical
• Continental polar
• Maritime tropical
• Maritime polar