Question

Ethan watched the news one evening. During the weather section, the meteorologist said a cold front was moving in and then showed a picture of the front. How will these two air masses interact, and what kind of weather will they bring?

1) The warm air rises above the heavier cold air and this front brings clear skies.
2) The warm air rises above the heavier cold air and this front brings severe weather.
3) The cold air rises above the heavier warm air and this front brings light rain.
4) The cold air slides under the warm air and the front becomes occluded.

Answer 1

A cold front causes warm air to rise above the heavier cold air, often leading to condensation, cloud formation, and severe weather, including the potential for thunderstorms and heavy rainfall.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a cold front moves in, the denser cold air slides under the lighter warm air, which causes the warm air to rise. As the warm air rises, it cools and its water vapor condenses to form clouds, and it often leads to precipitation in various forms depending on the temperature, such as rain, snow, sleet, hail, or freezing rain. This interaction between the two air masses typically brings severe weather, including the potential for thunderstorms, heavy rain, or in some cases, extreme conditions like tornadoes, depending on the instability and moisture content of the atmosphere.