FAA Aircraft Dispatcher (ADX)MeteorologyMedium
A dispatcher reviewing a surface analysis chart notices a fast-moving front with a steep pressure gradient, a narrow band of towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds, and brief but heavy showers along its leading edge. What type of front is depicted?
- AOccluded front
- BCold front
- CWarm front
- DStationary front
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Cold front
Cold fronts move faster than warm fronts, produce a steep frontal slope, and generate a narrow band of cumuliform clouds with brief, often intense precipitation as the cold air wedges beneath the warm air, forcing rapid lifting.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. An occluded front involves a cold front overtaking a warm front, typically producing a broader, more complex weather pattern.
- C. Warm fronts move slowly and produce widespread stratiform clouds and prolonged light-to-moderate precipitation ahead of the front.
- D. A stationary front shows little movement and mixed weather along an extended zone, not the fast-moving narrow band described.
Cold Front Characteristics
A cold front is the leading edge of a cold air mass advancing under and displacing warmer air, causing rapid lifting.
- Steep frontal slope produces narrow band of cumuliform clouds
- Fast-moving with brief, sometimes severe/heavy precipitation
- Often followed by clearing skies and a wind shift
Memory trick: Cold fronts hit fast and hard like a slap—narrow, quick storms.