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Using this map as an example, describe how to identify the origin of both cold and warm weather fronts. In addition, describe how to draw their...

Maps typically give us some basic information to help us understand what we are looking at. A title identifies the area of land being visualized. A key or legend is a box listing symbols or colors that occur on the map along with their meanings. This map does not contain these elements. We need closely observe what we see in order to make an inferences about what we are looking at.

Upon first glance, this appears to be a detailed section of North America; Florida is visible in the bottom right hand corner. We do get a little information at the bottom of the map with the labels "weather, temp, dwpt, gusts," and "Surface Pressure and Obs." These likely refer to weather, temperature, dewpoint, and barometric pressure; all of these are variables in weather systems. Numbers on the map ranging from -30 to 70 are scattered across the map, and there are lines demarcating areas. What does this information tell us, and how does it relate to weather fronts?


In order to piece together this puzzle, we need to consult reliable resources. The websites for the Department of Atmospheric Sciences (DAS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has simple and thorough explanations of weather-based phenomena. The National Association of Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) publishes an extensive guide to symbols used on weather maps. Both are reputable research-driven organizations where we can find accurate information.


Weather fronts are patterns of weather, and the Weather Symbols document published by the NOAA can help us identify these patterns. The first step is to use a copy of the map, along with this document, to identify the patterns of precipitation. We can now see a margin where the precipitation changes phase from solid (snow and sleet) to liquid (rain). This implies a pattern of temperature change that can help us find our cold front. The demarcation of where the air changes from humid to dry can help us identify the warm front. Now that we know how to identify the origins of warm and cold fronts, we need to learn how to depict it on a map.


According to DAS, a cold front is a demarcation of drier, cooler air moving southeastwardly. It should be indicated using a blue line with triangles indicating the direction of movement. We can place our cold front on the map just north and west of the ice crystals. Next, we need to place the warm front. Utilizing the DAS website once again, we find out that air behind a warm front is more humid. The warm front can be symbolized using a solid red line on the map.

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