Weather Fronts

Students drag the orange warm air mass and the blue cold air mass toward each other and move the town to different spots. The simulation names the front type from how the masses move, and shows the overlap, the temperature at the town and the rain there. Sliders set warm and cold air temperatures, a toggle makes cold air push east, and a button lets warm air push instead. It shows why cold fronts bring short heavy showers while warm fronts bring lighter, longer rain.

• Drag the cold air mass toward the warm one and read the Front type readout.
• Move the town into the overlap and watch Temperature at town and Rain at town change.
• Press Warm air pushes instead and compare the new front type.
• Set Cold air to a lower temperature and see how the front reacts.
• Turn Show rain off and on to focus on the front line and then on the weather.
• Make the temperature gap smaller and see whether the front looks different.

1. 1Define a front as the boundary between two air masses of different temperature.
2. 2Distinguish a cold front from a warm front by which mass advances.
3. 3Predict the weather at a place as a front passes.
4. 4Explain why dense cold air lifts warm air quickly and causes showers.

Questions teachers ask