Air Masses & Weather Fronts

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1. Air 6. Continental
Mass Polar Air Mass

air mass originating over the poles & land,

air is cool & dry
7. Continental
large bodies of air that have the same temperature
Tropical Air
and moisture throughout causes changes in weather.
Mass
2. climate The average weather conditions in an area over a
long period of time
3. Cold
front

air mass originating over the equator &

land, air is warm & dry
8. Fronts

forms when cold air moves under warm air which is

less dense and pushes air up.
4. Cold
front
symbol

the boundary between two air masses with

different temperatures and densities
-the air masses meet, but do NOT mix
represented on a weather map by blue triangles. -weather occurs along this boundary
5. Cold 9. High Air
front Pressure
weather

Clear Skies (happy weather)

Produces the most severe weather, like
thunderstorms, heavy rain or snow with strong wind
followed by lower temperatures.
10. Low Air 15. Occluded
Pressure front
weather

Produces large amounts of rain and snow and

drop in temperature.
Cloudy Skies (lousy weather)
16. Stationary
11. Maritime
front
Polar Air
Mass

air mass originating over the poles & ocean, air

is cool & moist warm air and cold air masses push into each
12. Maritime other but neither move.
Tropical Air 17. Stationary
Mass front
symbol

represented on a weather map by blue triangles

and red semicircles pointing in opposite
directions.
air mass originating over the equator & ocean, 18. Stationary
air is warm & moist front
13. Occluded weather
front

Produces clouds, fog and rain that can last for

several days.
a front where a warm air mass is caught 19. Warm front
between two colder air masses and brings
cool temperatures.
14. Occluded
front
symbol

warm air advances towards cold air; warm air

glides over cold air, cools, condenses and
represented on a weather map by purple forms clouds.
triangles and semicircles pointing in the same
direction.
20. Warm front symbol

represented on a weather map by red semicircles.

21. Warm front weather

Produces clouds may produce light showers and then are followed by higher temperatures.
22. weather The condition of Earth's atmosphere at a particular time and place.