What is a frontal?

A frontal is a weather phenomenon that occurs when a boundary between two air masses with different temperature, humidity, and density characteristics moves through an area. Fronts are typically associated with changes in weather conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and wind direction.

There are several types of fronts, including cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts. Cold fronts occur when a cold air mass displaces a warm air mass, leading to potentially severe weather conditions such as thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. Warm fronts occur when a warm air mass displaces a cold air mass, typically bringing more gradual changes in weather conditions such as light rain or drizzle.

Fronts are commonly depicted on weather maps as lines with triangles pointing in the direction of movement for cold fronts and semicircles pointing in the direction of movement for warm fronts. These symbols help meteorologists track and predict weather patterns associated with fronts.

Overall, fronts play a crucial role in shaping weather patterns and can have significant impacts on local and regional weather conditions.