Can you explain what happens to warm and cold air masses during an occluded front?

Question

This is for an extra credit assignment of mine.

Thanks!

Answer 1

In an occluded front, where in the cold and warm air masses have mixed.

Remember, an occluded front occurs when the cold front overtakes the warm front and forces the warm air aloft. There are two types of occluded fronts: warm-frontal type and cold-frontal type. The warm-frontal type occurs when the cool air behind the cold front overrides the colder air ahead of the warm front. This results in a cold front aloft. When the cold air behind the cold front lifts the warm front, it is called a cold-frontal type

Answer 2

When a depression (or a low pressure system) forms, it usually consists of a warm front and a faster moving cold front. As the depression intensifies, the cold front catches the warm front. The line where the two fronts meet is called an occluded front.

Symbolically, an occluded front is represented by a solid line with alternating triangles and circles pointing the direction the front is moving.

Answer 3

When cold air mixes with warm air, it tends to drive out the moisture contained in the warm air. This cooling can come from mixing and from causing the warm air to rise to higher altitudes where it is colder.

Warm air can contain more moisture without precipitating than comparable cold air. Thus, we are likely to get rain or snow showers and tempests in an occluded front as the cold air mass begins to cool down the warm air.

A great example of what happens in an occluded front is when the warm Gulf air comes north over Texas and Oklahoma and meets with the Canadian cold air coming south over the Dakotas. Tornado alley...that's what happens: winds, hail, rain...all typical of an occluded front.