Download Air Masses and Fronts Notes key

Air Masses Cornell Notes
What is an air mass?
A huge body of air that has similar temperature,
humidity, and air pressure throughout it
How do air masses move? From the West to the East
What is a front?
The area where the air masses meet and do not mix
What are the four types of 1. Cold front
fronts?
2. Warm front
3. Stationary front
4. Occluded front
What determines the kind
of front that develops?
The characteristics of the air masses and how they
are moving
Describe a cold front
 When a rapidly moving cold air mass slides
under the lighter warm air
 May bring precipitation
 May only have cloudy skies
 Move quickly which causes abrupt weather
changes like violent thunderstorms
 When it passes it leaves cool dry air with clear
skies and cooler temperatures
Describe a warm front
 A moving warm air mass collides with a slowly
moving cold air mass and moves over the cold air
 Brings clouds, storms and rain
 Humid warm air brings showers and light rain
along the front
 Dry warm air brings scattered clouds
 Could bring rainy or foggy weather for several
days
 When it passes the weather will be warm and
humid
 In winter could bring snow
Describe a stationary
front
 When a cold and warm air mass meet and neither
has enough force to push out the other
 Forms rain, snow, fog or clouds
 Brings days of clouds and precipitation
Describe an occluded
front
 A warm air mass is caught between two cooler
air masses
 Warm air mass on top with two cooler air masses
mixing
 Temperature near the ground is cold
 May bring cloudy and rainy or snowy weather
Summary: Describe all four types of fronts.