Understanding Weather Fronts and Pressure Systems

1. Chapter 16 section 2 Fronts

2. Cold Fronts • Cold air moves under warm air • Warm air rises,Moves quickly • Brings thunderstorms, heavy rain or snow • Cooler dry weather follows

3. Warm Front • Warm air moves over cold, denser air • Gradually replaces cold air • Brings drizzly rain • Clear, warm weather follows

4. Occluded Front • Warm air mass caught between 2 colder air masses • Cold air mass pushes up the warm air mass • Cool temperatures, large amounts of rain and snow

5. Stationary Front • Weak cold air mass meets a weak warm air mass • Stop, becomes stationary because not enough wind to force the other mass away • Many days of cloudy, wet weather

8. Cyclones • Low pressure areas • Where air masses come together or converge and rise • Winds spiral toward the center • Moves counterclockwise • Causes stormy weather

9. Anticyclones • Areas of high pressure • Air moves apart, or diverges, and sinks • Cooler, denser air moves out of the high pressure center • Moves clockwise • Brings dry, clear weather