FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot (UAG)WeatherMedium
A cold front is forecast to pass directly through the operating area within the hour. Immediately after the frontal passage, what weather conditions should the remote pilot expect?
- AClearing skies, a noticeable temperature drop, and gusty northwesterly winds
- BIncreasing cloud cover with steady, prolonged rain showers
- CStable air with light and variable winds throughout the day
- DContinued southwesterly winds and steadily rising temperatures
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Clearing skies, a noticeable temperature drop, and gusty northwesterly winds
After a cold front passes, the cold air mass replaces the warm air, typically producing a wind shift (often to the northwest in the Northern Hemisphere), a drop in temperature, rising pressure, and clearing skies with possibly gusty winds — though brief turbulence can occur right at the passage.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Steady prolonged rain is more typical of a warm front, while cold fronts bring brief, intense weather then clearing.
- C. Cold front passages are typically associated with gusty, shifting winds, not stable, light and variable conditions.
- D. Southwesterly winds and rising temperatures describe conditions before the front, not after.
Cold Front Passage
A cold front occurs when a cold air mass advances and undercuts a warmer air mass, producing a narrow band of intense weather followed by clearing.
- Wind shifts direction (often SW to NW) at passage
- Temperature drops and pressure rises after passage
- Narrow band of showers/thunderstorms occurs at the front itself
Memory trick: 'Cold front clears the air' — storms pass, then skies clear and cool.