What kind of weather is associated with a stationary front?
People who watch weather forecasts will be familiar with cold and warm fronts.A stationary front, which doesn't receive much attention but is important, is a lesser-known frontal system.
Cold or warm fronts usually dominate any weather discussion.The occluded and stationary fronts are two other frontal systems that play a significant part in determining weather conditions.
In this article, you will learn about an occluded front, how it forms, and the weather conditions associated with it.
This post will examine what a stationary front is, how it develops, as well as looking at the type of weather associated with this front.
We need to have a clear definition of what a stationary front is before we can look at its other characteristics.
A stationary front is a frontal system that forms at a fixed location when two air mass come together, but neither is strong enough to replace the other.
The front moves back and forth depending on the strength of the air mass and the wind direction.
Although a stationary front remains in one position, it doesn't mean that weather conditions and air movement around it come to a standstill.There is a lot of weather activity on both sides of a stationary front.
The definition states that a stationary front forms when two air mass meet, but neither is strong enough to displace the other.It happens when a cold front and warm front catch up.
A stationary front that remains in one location sometimes for days on end is the result of this stalemate.You will discover in the next section that it can lead to extended periods of dreary and miserable weather.
A change in wind direction or one of the two air mass gaining strength can cause the front to move again.Depending on the strength of the air mass, the new front can be cold or warm.
A stationary front can eventually break up and become shear lines.The latter occurs over the ocean.
The weather that accompanies a front is not as active as the front itself.It is not uncommon for winds to blow parallel to a front.
The difference in temperature experienced on either side of the "fixed barrier" is a characteristic of a stationary front.The mass of air behind the warm front has a higher temperature than the cold front.
Light precipitation can last for days when a stationary front is accompanied by overcast and dreary weather.This condition depends on the amount of water in the air.
Extreme events can be caused by a stationary front.Heavy and persistent rain can cause flooding in the region when a high percentage of water is present.
Strong downdrafts along the border of a stationary front can cause heavy winds called Derechos.They can reach speeds of 160 km/h (100 miles per hour), which can cause damage to infrastructure and endanger human life.
There is a section called "How Does a Stationary Front Form?"A good idea of how a stationary front looks in context and how it may be depicted during a weather forecast is what you can get.
There are blue and red sections in the symbol for a stationary front.Each section has a triangle or semi-circle, which alternates with each transition from one segment to the other.
The symbol on the blue section represents the cold air mass with the same blue triangle as the actual cold front.The triangles show the direction in which the cold air is moving.
The warm air mass with the red semi-circles is represented on the symbol by a warm front.The warm air is moving in a direction that the semi-circles point towards.
Don't confuse the symbol for a stationary front with the one for an occluded front.There are alternating triangles and semi-circles.
An occluded front is indicated by a single purple-colored symbol.The stationary front is represented by a symbol with alternating red and blue colors.
The stationary front is the least well-known of the four major weather fronts.It has a significant impact on the weather.
You now know how a stationary front is formed.You know what the weather will be like in its vicinity.