> [!info] Definition ([Aviation Weather Handbook: 11.3.2](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/FAA-H-8083-28_FAA_Web.pdf#page=144)) > A cold front occurs when a mass of cold, dense, and stable air advances and replaces a body of warmer air. It is so dense, it stays close to the ground and acts like a snowplow, sliding under the warmer air and forcing the less dense air aloft. Cold fronts have a steep slope, and the warm air is forced upward abruptly (see Figure 11-6). This often leads to a narrow band of showers and thunderstorms along, or just ahead of, the front if the warm rising air is unstable. Cold fronts move more rapidly than warm fronts, progressing at a rate of 25 to 30 mph. However, extreme cold fronts have been recorded moving at speeds of up to 60 mph. # Visual Depiction ![[Cold Front Graphic.png]] # Information - As warm air is rapidly pushed upwards, clouds are formed. The types of clouds that form are dependent on the [[Atmospheric Stability]] of the warmer [[Air Mass]]. --- > [!example] Cold Front Passage ([Aviation Weather Handbook: 11.3.2](https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/FAA-H-8083-28_FAA_Web.pdf#page=144)) > Prior to the passage of a typical cold front, cirriform or towering cumulus clouds are present, and cumulonimbus clouds may develop. Rain showers may also develop due to the rapid development of clouds. A high dewpoint and falling barometric pressure are indicative of an imminent cold front passage. > > As the cold front passes, towering cumulus or cumulonimbus clouds continue to dominate the sky. Depending on the intensity of the cold front, heavy rain showers form and may be accompanied by lightning, thunder, and/or hail. More severe cold fronts can also produce tornadoes. During cold front passage, the visibility is poor with winds variable and gusty, and the temperature and dewpoint drop rapidly. A quickly falling barometric pressure bottoms out during frontal passage, and then begins a gradual increase. After frontal passage, the towering cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds begin to dissipate to cumulus clouds with a corresponding decrease in the precipitation. Good visibility eventually prevails with the winds from the west-northwest. Temperatures remain cooler and the barometric pressure continues to rise.