ARCTIC COLD FRONT - SHORT SUMMARY
by FMI
Example
The example shows an arctic front over Scandinavia. Intensive low pressure centre was located over western part of Finland, and fresh air of arctic origin was streaming from the north. Organized convective cloudiness can be seen north of the Arctic Front over the ocean, while over land the convective cloudiness is minor.
30 January 1998/01.29 UTC NOAA IR image (channel 5)
Typical cloud configurations
- Arctic Front is seen as relatively narrow line of layered cloudiness. Cloudiness may be absent in case of dry and stable atmosphere,
the only sign of the Arctic Front being a remarkable drop in surface temperature and/or moisture parameters (temperature,
dewpoint, etc.)
- On the cold side of the Arctic Front cloudiness consists mostly of cellular, convective cloudiness, often oriented as long cloud
streets. This is especially true for open sea areas as well as coastal regions facing them, whereas deep inland the post-frontal
conditions are clearer.
- On the warm side of the Arctic Front cloudiness is less convective, indicating more stable lapse rate of temperature.
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