Meteorology 5

Types of Clouds Clouds are named by the appearance and altitude, however it is low level clouds that are of most interest to RPAS pilots Fronts The atmosphere is made up of air masses, and where two air masses meet is called a Front, it is the the interaction of these air masses along their frontal zones that is responsible for weather change

Cumulonimbus Thunderstorm clouds. Vertically high towering clouds with a dark flat base; very turbulent and dangerous as they produce thunderstorms.

Cumulus Puffy clouds with flat bases. Formed by vertical air movement; can have significant turbulence when flown through.

Cumulonimbus Thunderstorm clouds. Vertically high towering clouds with a dark flat base; very turbulent and dangerous as they produce thunderstorms.

Cold Front A cold front is a region where a cold air mass is replacing a warmer air mass. Cold fronts usually move from Northwest to Southeast and the air behind a cold front is much colder than the air in front. So when a cold front passes through temperatures can drop very quickly. On a weather map a cold front is represented by a solid line with blue triangles along the front pointing towards the warmer air and direction of movement.

Warm Front A warm front is a region where a warm air mass is replacing a colder air mass, warm fronts usually move from Southwest to Northeast. The air behind a warm front is warmer and so when a warm front passes through the air gets noticeably warmer and more humid than before. On a weather map a warm front is represented by a solid line with red semicircles along the front pointing towards the colder air and direction of movement.