Book 7, Question 63
Why Does a Warm Front Bring Longer, Gentler Rain?
A warm front is where warm air slowly moves in over cooler air. Warm air is lighter, so it glides up over the cool air like a gentle ramp. That slow slope makes wide sheets of cloud and long, steady rain.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 7
More fun facts
- As a warm front gets closer, clouds get lower and thicker.
- A warm front can bring several hours of light to moderate rain.
- After a warm front passes, the rain ends and it can warm up a lot, for example from the 50s into the 70s Fahrenheit.
- Warm fronts usually sit on the east side of a low-pressure center.
- From space, a warm front can look like a wide band of clouds.
Sources: NOAA, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
What happens after a warm front passes?
The rain usually stops and it gets warmer.
How do warm fronts look on a weather map?
They are red lines with half circles.