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Fronts
Fronts represent a division between of air masses that are not the same temperature. Fronts can be cold, warm, occluded or stationary. Conflict between air masses can create rapidly changing temperatures, high winds and precipitation. The width can vary from 20 to 100 miles. If the leading edge of a front is moving into an area of warmer air it is called a "cold front." If the wedge or leading edge of a front is moving back and at the same time warmer air is moving into the vacated area the front is called a "warm front." Cold fronts generally bring cooler weather, change in wind direction, clear skies, and are often associated with violent weather. Cold fronts can sustain intensity longer than warm fronts. Warm fronts are less brutal than cold fronts but are capable of provoking thunderstorms. When a cold front overtakes a warm front it is called an "occluded" front. Stationary fronts do not move or barely move. A stationary front generally occurs when polar air masses change significantly and lose their quality.
Atmosphere
An air mass is a wide-ranging body of the atmosphere that possesses particularly the physical properties of humidity and temperature. In the large body of air that creates an air mass there is very little horizontal deviation in the moisture, pressure and temperature.
Properties of Air Mass
An air mass can extend thousands of miles and its characteristics are directly affected by the amount of time spent over a particular are. If the mass has spent time over one of the poles, for example, it becomes a "polar air mass." These are extremely cold, particularly during the winter. The air mass is frigid because very little sunlight reaches the poles.
Maritime Air Mass
A humid and warm air mass is referred to as a "tropical maritime air mass." This typically occurs in the summer and can cover most of the United States. Other types of air masses are monsoon, equatorial and arctic.