FAA Private Pilot Airplane (PAR)Weather Theory and ServicesMedium
A pilot observes the passage of a fast-moving cold front. Which sequence of weather is most typical immediately following frontal passage?
- ARapid clearing, gusty and shifting winds, and a noticeable temperature drop
- BContinuous light rain and stratus clouds lasting many hours
- CIncreasing haze, calm winds, and slowly rising dew point
- DGradual clearing over several hours with steady winds and rising temperatures
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Rapid clearing, gusty and shifting winds, and a noticeable temperature drop
A fast-moving cold front typically produces a narrow band of possibly severe weather along the front, followed by rapid clearing, a wind shift (often gusty), and a sharp temperature drop as colder air replaces the warmer air mass.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Prolonged light rain and stratus are characteristic of warm front approach, not cold front passage.
- C. This describes conditions ahead of a warm front, not after a cold front.
- D. This gradual pattern is more typical of a warm front, not a fast-moving cold front.
Cold Front Passage
The boundary where cold air displaces warm air; associated with a narrow band of often intense weather followed by rapid clearing and a temperature drop.
- Steeper frontal slope than warm fronts, producing more violent weather
- Wind shifts abruptly, often becoming gusty from the northwest (in Northern Hemisphere)
- Temperature and dew point drop noticeably after passage
- Can produce cumulonimbus clouds and thunderstorms along the front
Memory trick: Cold front = quick and violent, then clear and cold