Chapter 20.2 Fronts and Lows
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Transcript Chapter 20.2 Fronts and Lows
Chapter 20.2 Fronts and Lows
Objectives:
-Describe the weather conditions
associated with different types of fronts
Describe the life cycle of a mid-latitude
low
What is a Front?
The boundary that separates opposing air
masses
Can be 5 km high and 2000 long
Air masses on either side of a front may
differ in temperature and humidity
Fronts con’t
Less dense air is forced to rise over denser
air resulting in a wedge shape
Types of Fronts
Cold Front
Warm Front
Stationary Front
Occluded Front
Types of Fronts – Cold Front
Boundary between an advancing cold air
mass and the warmer air mass it is
displacing
Cold air slides below Warm air
Thunderstorms often accompany cold
fronts if they replace humid mT air
Cold Front:
Types of Fronts – Warm Front
Boundary between advancing warm air
mass and cold air mass it is displacing
First signs are wispy cirrus clouds
Advancement of a Warm Front
Types of Fronts – Occluded
Front
Occurs when cold front catches up to warm
front, forcing warm air to rise.
Results in clouds and precipitation
Advancement of an Occluded
Front
Types of Fronts – Stationary
Front
Front that does not move or moves very
slowly
Can result in flooding if precipitation
results from warm air rising
Stationary Front
Front Symbols
Mid-Latitude Low
Mid-Latitude Cyclone
Upper-Air Flow
Low Pressure systems are controlled (path
and intensity) by upper air flow
See Diagram on pg 443
Troughs and Ridges
Troughs – Upper level winds that slow, forcing
air downward creating high pressure at the
surface
Ridges – Upper level winds that spread out
(diverge) causing surface air to rise, creating low
pressure at the surface
Strengths of highs and lows are dependent upon
how sharp the bend in upper air flow is
Anticyclones and Cyclones
High pressure areas (anticyclones) Clockwise airflow
in the Northern Hemisphere (opposite flow direction in
S. Hemisphere)
– Characterized by descending air which warms creating clear
skies
Low pressure areas (cyclones) Counterclockwise
airflow in N. Hemisphere (opposite flow in S.
Hemisphere)
– Air converges toward low pressure centers, cyclones are
characterized by ascending air which cools to form clouds and
possibly precipitation