Fronts

cold fronts:  move fast, steep slope, vertical uplift, cumulus type clouds, narrow zone of intense precipitation, rain, snow, hail, sleet; drama at the frontal boundary,

warm fronts:  move less quickly, gentler sloping frontal boundary, overunning, stratus clouds (some cirrus), wide zone of light precipitation, clouds and precipitation preceed temperature change, rain, snow, sleet, freezing rain.


Sketch a cross section of a cold front, and one of a warm front showing:  direction of movement of air masses, temperature of air masses, shape of front, cloud type and distribution, and zone of precipitation.    Be able to describe these differences and show them on a weather map.  Why is freezing rain unlikely to form at a cold front?  Why is hail unlikely to form at a warm front?

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