cold front

[kohld fruhnt]

noun

1. the zone separating two air masses, of which the cooler, denser mass is advancing and replacing the warmer.

cold front

noun

1. the boundary line between a warm air mass and the cold air pushing it from beneath and behind as it moves

2. the line on the earth's surface where the cold front meets it

cold front

1. The forward edge of an advancing mass of cold air that pushes under a mass of warm air. Cold fronts often cause precipitation; water vapor in the rising warm air condenses and forms clouds, often resulting in heavy rain, thunderstorms, hail, or snow. Winter cold fronts can cause temperatures to drop significantly. Summer cold fronts reduce humidity as drier, cooler air displaces the humid, warmer air. On a weather map, a cold front is depicted as a blue line with triangles that point in the direction in which the cold air is moving.

2. Compare occluded front warm front See illustration at front

Word History and Origins

Origin of cold front¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The cold front will have moved away from Los Angeles, but the cold core of the low-pressure system will still be around.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The thunderstorms will remain a slight risk because of a cold front that ushered in unstable air Monday.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Snow levels in local mountains will drop with the cold front to around 4,500 feet by Tuesday, according to the weather service.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a traditional cold front that is pushed by the jet stream, forecasters can usually narrow the period of peak expected rainfall to between six and nine hours.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A cold front will also sink southwards, bringing heavy rain.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• cold snap 
• cold spell www.thesaurus.com
• cold wave