You can also distinguish fronts on weather charts (above) by the color and shape of the symbol. The arrows and circles will also point in the direction of the movement of the front.
For mnemonic purposes and the knowledge test, think COWS: Cold, Occluded, Warm, Stationary.
When a cold front has passed over my airport, I know one thing’s for certain: Airplanes will be taking off and landing on Runway 30 for the next day or two as winds sweep out of the northwest.
Fronts are major players in aviation weather. Their type, direction, and durability affect your ability to fly. A strong knowledge of fronts, the weather they bring, and the weather they leave in their wake will help you plan successful trips, particularly as you venture cross-country under visual flight rules (VFR).
A front is the boundary between air masses that have different moisture and temperature characteristics. Fronts come in four flavors: cold, warm, stationary, and occluded. Cold fronts occur when cold air is moving to displace warmer air; warm fronts are where warm air is replacing cold air. A stationary front, as its name suggests, has no movement and may linger for several days. Occluded fronts are merged cold and warm fronts, and the stacking of air masses that occurs in an occluded front can produce a variety of weather conditions, most of it the kind that will ground a VFR pilot.
The weather trundling along ahead of a front may not be flyable for VFR pilots—think clouds and precipitation. With a cold front, for example, expect clouds and showers ahead of the front, and more clouds, heavy showers—possibly with hail, lightning, and thunder—during the passage. For warm fronts, expect clouds and rain (or sleet, or snow) ahead of the front, then possible drizzle but improving visibility during its passage.
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