A cold weather front is defined as the changing region where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass. Cold weather fronts usually move from northwest to southeast. The air behind a cold front is colder and drier than the air in front. When a cold front passes through, temperatures can drop more than 15 degrees within an hour. Usually, when the cold front is passing, winds become gusty; there is a sudden drop in temperature, and heavy rain, sometimes with hail, thunder, and lightning. Lifted warm air ahead of the front produces cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms. After the cold front has passed, the sky turns sunny with big puffy clouds. The cold dense air has passed leaving cooler air and the large moist clouds are blown along with the winds until eventually the skies clear completely. Most of the rain, thunder, lightening, hail and excitement occur right as the front meets the warm air and pushes it up. As the warmer air builds into massive cumulonimbus clouds the moisture cools and falls. As soon as the moisture has been dumped the cool dry conditions return and the sun shines once more. I love weather!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |