Glossary

Frontal Lift

Vertical slice through a frontal system; cold air and cold front (left), warm sector (middle), warm front and retreating cool air (right). Warm, moist air is forced to ascend at both fronts but does so more rapidly at the cold front.

Frontal lift is one of four primary mechanisms of atmospheric lift. Cold fronts, warm fronts, and occluded fronts all force air to rise, and if sufficient moisture is present, form clouds and precipitation.