Cold front

Fronts are extremely important to pilots and can significantly impact a flight.

Do you know what kind of weather each type of front provides?

In this article, we’ll explain the different types of fronts in meteorology.

Key Takeaways

• A front is a boundary between two air masses.
• Any approaching front means changes in the weather are imminent.
• The four types of fronts are warm, cold, stationary, and occluded.
• Warm fronts bring poor visibility.
• Cold fronts bring precipitation.
• Stationary fronts bring a mix of cold and warm front conditions.
• Occluded fronts can bring severe weather.

What Are Fronts?

A front is a boundary between two air masses.

Air masses can control weather for a long time, from days to months. 

Most weather occurs along the periphery of these air masses at boundaries called fronts. 

There are four types of fronts, named according to the temperature of the advancing air relative to the temperature of the air it is replacing: 

• Warm fronts
• Cold fronts 
• Stationary fronts
• Occluded fronts

An approaching front of any ty

where do stationary fronts form

why is a stationary front called stationary