Precipitation
and Storms
Air Masses
- homogenous in temperature
and humidity
- source
regions - nearly homogenous surface
- large extent of land
or water
- Maritime Tropical (mT)
- Continental Tropical
(cT)
- Maritime Polar (mP)
- Continental Polar (cP)
Fronts
- Fronts
- where unlike air masses don't easily mix
- like meeting of the
"Zax"
- frontal (vertical)
lifting occurs
- zone of precipitation
- cold
front
- steep "snout-like"
slope
- pushes air rapidly
up
- high intensity rainfall
(precip)
- warm
front
- gentle slope
- gently overrides
colder, denser airmass
- assoc. with high
cirrus clouds preceeding storm
- drizzle or light
intensity rainfall
- occluded
front
- latter part of storm
dissipation
- cold front merges
with warm front
- stationary
- neither front moves
- stalled fronts (unpredictable
weather)