Weather Fronts

Cold Front
A cold front occurs when fast moving cold air collides with slow moving warm air. Cold air is than warm air, so cold air sinks under the warm air. Warm air rises above the cold air cooling the temperature. Water vapor condenses into droplets of liquid water. Clouds are formed from droplets of water produced by rapid rise of warm air. Cold fronts move quickly causing weather changes such as strong winds and thunderstorms. It can be accompanied by rain or snow or cloudy skies depending on how much water vapor is in the air.

Warm Front
Warm fronts are slow moving and can collide with a slow moving cold air. Warm air will rise over cold air because cold air is denser than warm air. Warm fronts are accompanied by clouds, storms, and rain. If the air is warm and dry, scattered clouds form. If warm air is, showers and light rain fall. Warm fronts move more slowly than cold fronts the weather may be rainy or foggy for several days

Stationary Fronts
Sometimes warm and cold fronts meet, but neither one has enough force to move the other. They face each other in a "standoff". Where the two meet water vapor condenses into rain, snow, fog, or clouds. A stationary front can remain stalled for many days over an area.

Occluded Front
At an occluded front warm air is caught between two cooler airs. The cool air moves underneath the warm air and push it up . The two cooler air meet in the middle and may mix. The cool air is near the ground and the warm air is cut off. The weather may turn cloudy, rainy, or snowy.

Cloud Formation