How do air masses move at a warm front?

At a warm front, warm air masses move and rise over colder air masses. The characteristic feature of a warm front is this process of the warm air gradually ascending, which occurs because warm air is less dense than cold air. As the warm air rises, it cools and expands, leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation as the moisture in the warm air condenses.

This movement of warm air over cold air creates characteristic weather patterns associated with warm fronts, such as extended periods of light to moderate rain before the front passes. Understanding this concept is crucial, as it helps in predicting weather changes and the associated atmospheric phenomena. It's important to note that this behavior of air masses at a warm front is in contrast to the dynamics observed at a cold front, where cold air pushes under warm air leading to different weather systems.