Section 6.2 Fronts
NOAA Jetstream: https://www.weather.gov/jetstream/wxmaps
The boundaries between air masses are known as fronts. Because they divide air masses with different properties, the passage of the front is usually associated with a change in the weather. There are different types of fronts:
cold front: colder air follows the front's passage; cold air generally moves faster and underneath warmer air. This usually leads to a relatively abrupt zone of lifting and cumuloform clouds
warm front: warmer air follows the front's passage; warm air usually slides over the colder air mass relatively gradually. This leads to a gradual sequence of cloud types and longer-term precipitation.
stationary front: little horizontal movement along front
occluded front: when a faster-moving (usually cold) front overtakes a slower warm front; a cold occlusion is when the new air mass is more stable than what it is replacing whereas a warm occlusion is when the new air mass is less stable than what it is replacing;
dryline: a frontal boundary based upon moisture & wind instead of temperature (e.g., cT and mT air over Texas): huge difference in dewpoint
The movement of fronts is closely tied to general cyclonic and anti-cyclonic circulation patterns. The low-pressure systems in particular can develop into large, strong storms known as mid-latitude cyclones.