Fronts, Friends, and Forecasting
Fronts, Friends, and Forecasting
There are all kinds of fronts in the weather world. The traditional ones are the cold and warm fronts. But there are also the occluded, stationary, polar, and arctic fronts. My favorite one is the so-called back-door cold front (yes, the words back and front are used to describe the same phenomena). What they all have in common is their depiction in separating two regimes. Its like an intervening friend who tells you not to go out with this person because he or she is simply trouble. In this case, the friend is the front, the one trying to separate the two parties.
Although typical weather fronts attempt to separate the cold and warm air, just like the intervening friend, they can be quite unsuccessful. When the two clash, fireworks (e.g. rain) can arise. In yesterday’s case, the cooler air mass seeping in from the northeast (hence back-door cold front) intruded into the warmer air mass that had been in place on Saturday and Sunday. As a result, the warmer air lifted upward and produced the cloudy skies yesterday. Later this evening, a more typical cold front will be approaching from the west. Just like yesterday though, the difference between the two regimes is not large and hence, no rain is expected. So, at least for the next couple of days, the rain-free relatively warm pattern will continue.
Extended Forecast
Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Lows near 50°F (10°C).
Tomorrow: Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s°F (22°C).
Tomorrow Night: Mostly clear. Low in the mid 50s°F (12°C).
Thursday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 60s°F (18°C).
Friday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the lower 60s°F (16°C).