Fronts and Mid-latitude CyclonesChapter 9

Meteorology 1010Professor Bunds

Utah Valley University

Fronts• A front is a boundary between two

air masses (of different densities)

• 2 main types, named based on which air mass is moving into the other:– Warm front; warm air pushes into

and over colder air

– Cold front; cold air pushes into and under warmer air

Warm FrontGently sloped boundary; gentle, long-lasting

precip

Cold FrontSteeply sloped boundary; intense, short-lived

precip. (thunderstorms common)

Occluded FrontsMore common

Midlatitude Cyclone

Formation of an Occlusion

Life of a Midlatitiude

Cyclone

Weather of a Midlatitude Cyclone

Conditions Aloft

Surface Conditions

Storm Tracks

Anticyclone

Storm of the Century