FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATM)Meteorology and Weather ServicesEasy
A stationary front has remained nearly motionless over an airport for the past 24 hours. As long as the front stays in this position, what weather condition is most likely to persist?
- AClear skies with a strong pressure gradient
- BRapid clearing with strong surface winds
- CProlonged low ceilings, poor visibility, and continuous precipitation
- DSudden severe turbulence and large hail
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Prolonged low ceilings, poor visibility, and continuous precipitation
A stationary front marks the boundary between two air masses with neither advancing significantly, so the associated cloud and precipitation pattern can linger for extended periods, producing persistent low ceilings and reduced visibility.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Clear skies contradict the typical weather along a stalled frontal boundary.
- B. Rapid clearing suggests frontal passage, which is not occurring with a stationary front.
- D. Severe hail and turbulence are more typical of fast-moving cold fronts or squall lines.
Stationary Front
A stationary front occurs when the boundary between two air masses stops advancing, often producing extended periods of unsettled weather.
- Neither air mass is displacing the other
- Weather resembles a warm front but persists longer
- Can eventually become a warm or cold front again once movement resumes
Memory trick: Stationary = stalled car — traffic (weather) backs up and doesn't move