Which direction do the winds come from behind a cold front?

A sudden change in wind direction is commonly observed with the passage of a cold front. Before the front arrives, winds ahead of the front (in the warmer air mass) are typically out of the south-southwest, but once the front passes through, winds usually shift around to the west-northwest (in the colder air mass).

Is it colder in front or behind a cold front?

The air behind a cold front is colder and drier than the air in front. When a cold front passes through, temperatures can drop more than 15 degrees within an hour.

What happens to the air behind a cold front?

A cold front is defined as the transition zone where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass. The air behind a cold front is noticeably colder and drier than the air ahead of it. When a cold front passes through, temperatures can drop more than 15 degrees within the first hour.

How does the wind direction ahead of the warm front compare to the wind direction behind the warm front?

Winds ahead of the warm front were generally from the east, while behind the front, winds had shifted around and were blowing out of the south. This sudden shift in wind direction was the key indicator that a warm front was present.

Where is the cold front coming from?

Cold fronts form when a cooler air mass moves into an area of warmer air in the wake of a developing extratropical cyclone. The warmer air interacts with the cooler air mass along the boundary, and usually produces precipitation. Cold fronts often follow a warm front or squall line.

How do winds shift in a cold front?

The leading edge of a relatively cold air mass which displaces warmer air, causing it to rise. Ahead of an approaching cold front, winds will usually shift gradually from southeast to south, and on to southwest. As a cold front passes, winds shift rapidly to west, then northwest.

What happens ahead of a cold front?

If a cold front is approaching, precipitation is possible just before and while the front passes. Behind the front, expect clearing skies, cooler temperatures, and lower relative humdities. The air cools as it rises and the moisture condenses to produce clouds and precipitation ahead of and along the cold front.

What is the weather ahead of a cold front?

Lifted warm air ahead of the front produces cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms, like in the image on the left (A). As the cold front passes, winds become gusty. There is a sudden drop in temperature, and also heavy rain, sometimes with hail, thunder, and lightning.

What happens before a cold front?

What happens to the pressure and wind as the cold front passes the place of the observer?

Pressure continues to fall steadily until the cold front arrives. Once it does, the air pressure bottoms out at its lowest point relative to the particular front’s intensity, then shows a steep rise. After the cold front passes through, the barometer begins a steady increase.

What happens when a cold front meets a warm front?

When a cold front overtakes a warm front, it creates what’s called an occluded front that forces warm air above a frontal boundary of cooler air masses.

What happens before a warm front?

The air mass behind a warm front is likely to be warmer and more moist than the one before the front. If a warm front is approaching, light rain or light winter precipitation is possible before and as the front passes. Behind the front, expect clearing skies, warmer temperatures and higher relative humdities.