weather

what is a weather front?

• It's a boundary between two air masses (warm & cool)
• These air masses have different densities 
• It is the major cause of meteorological phenomena

stationary front

• It is a boundary created by two fronts of equal strength 
• Because neither is stronger they can last a while
• It can create fog, rain, or snow

cold front

• It's the front of a cold air mass
• It pushes aside a warm air mass 
• Cold fronts can create hard rain and snow
• After a cold front skies become clear

occluded fronts

• A "sandwich" with warm air between two masses of cold air
• It can cause either rain or snow depending on the temperature
• Because cold air moves faster than warm air, it can form a vortex
• If the vortex spins fast enough it can make a tornado

warm front

• The warm front is the cold front's opposite 
• This time warm air pushes aside cold air
• Warm fronts are slower than cold fronts
• Produce light or moderate rain that can last a long time  
• Can produce thunder storms

What is an Air Mass?

• Big area of air with same pressure, temperature, and humidity
•  There are different kinds of air masses:
• 1. Maritime Polar                       3. Maritime Tropical
• 2. Continental Polar                   4.Continental Tropical

maritime polar air mass

• It is a cool humid air mass that hangs around northern parts of the oceans
• It is humid because it starts in the ocean and coasts
• It can become unstable and create rain at sea and along the coasts

continental polar air mass

• It is cold and dry
• Comes from high altitude from far north and south (poles)
• It brings dry clear weather in winter
• It brings dry warm weather in summer

maritime tropical air mass

• It is a warm humid air mass
• Comes from the seas
• Forms over Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean
• Causes mild damp weather, muggy in the summer
• Can produce warm weather and long rains

Sources

• http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/met101/forecasting_weather.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_frontAdd another list item here
• http://www.madscitech.org/tsn/training/btraining/btraining3.htmlAdd another list item here
• http://okfirst.mesonet.org/train/meteorology/Fronts.html
• http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/wxfacts/Air-masses-and-their-sources...