ESS200A
Prof. Jin-Yi Yu
Cold Fronts
qCold fronts form
when cold air displaces warm air.
qIndicative of heavy
precipitation events, rainfall or snow, combined with rapid
temperature drops.
qExtreme
precipitation stems from rapid vertical lifting associated with the steep cold front
boundary profile.
qBecause cold air is
dense, it spills across the surface producing a steeply inclined
leading edge.
qWarm moist air ahead
of the front is forced aloft with great vertical displacement.
q This accounts for large vertical
cumulonimbus clouds and heavy precipitation.
q Such sharp transitions between the colder,
drier air behind the front and the warmer, moisture air ahead of the front,
can be easily detected on satellite images and radar composites.