Clouds & Fronts

WARM AIR MASSES: • Move into colder air

masses• Move slowly

AHEAD OF WARM

FRONTS:High Clouds

cirrus cirrostratus

Middle Clouds altostratus

AFTER A WARM FRONT:rain & possibly

thunderstorms

Warm Front

Red half-circles show direction front is moving. (rising suns=warm front

Cooler prior to front

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/warm_front.html

Clouds Formed by Warm Fronts

Altocumulus Cirrocumulus Cirrus Altostratus Cirrostratus

Cumulonimbus Nimbostratus Stratus Stratocumulushttp://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/hgh/crs.rxml

Cold Air Masses: Move into warmer air massesMove very fastCause a sudden drop in temperatureHigh windsPush warm air up causing:Cumulus or Cumulonimbus clouds & thunderstormsAfter a cold front passes:cool, dry stratus and stratocumulus clouds or clear skies

Cold Fronts

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/tstorm/cold_front.html

Blue arrows show direction of cold front. Blue “icicles”

Clouds Formed by Cold Fronts

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/hgh/crs.rxml

Cumulus Nimbostratus

Stratocumulus Stratus

http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Atmosphere/clouds/formation_fronts.html

Adapted from Information/Images

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