What is a Cold Front?

It is said to be the transformation zone where cold air mass supersedes a warmer air mass. As the cold mass flows into the area, it takes the room of warmer air at ground level. Changes in air temperature can cause changes in the weather. Cold fronts normally flow from northwest to southeast.

Cold air is relatively dense than warm air; therefore, it overpowers and pushes the warm air into the atmosphere. In extreme cases, this instability might lead to the formation of squall lines of severe thunderstorms. This can alter the temperature along the edge of the cold/warm air, and it can be more than 50°F.

When the low pressure caused along the cold front raises the warm air, moisture starts to condense. When enough moisture is produced, it can produce a narrow line of rain along the cold front side. Stable systems cause rain, and unstable system leads to hail storm and thunderstorm.

They usually move from northwest to southeast, and these winds are quite breezy. You would also be able to see a change in cloud type because rainfall depends on the kind of cloud. These winds are strong in the sprint time and are weakest during the summertime.

In a few cases, a cold front has also lead to snowfall if there is less moisture in the air, then even there would be no rainfall at all. Whereas, if there is sufficient moisture, then it might lead to snowfall as well.

As the cold fronts travel faster than warm fronts, they can generate an immediate temperature change. The temperature decreases decline as it passes.

When air is cold, in that case, the air molecules come together more tightly, which makes the air denser. It is a similar situation when you feel cold when you shiver; you try and keep yourself warm by packing yourself with warm clothes.

On the contrary warm air is less and rises above in the atmosphere. For example, when people feel warm, they try and spread out away from each other, which means people and air spread out in the heat. Thus, when warm and cold air meets, the cold air sinks and the warm air rises above in the atmosphere.