DIFFERENCES* IN COLD AND WARM FRONTS
 
CHARACTERISTIC COLD FRONTS WARM FRONTS
          Speed ~20 knots ~10 knots
          Slope ~1/50 ~1/300
          Frontal Definition Sharp Fuzzy

Most Common Direction of Motion

 Towards SE quadrant Towards NE quadrant
          Frontal Conditions Heaviest precipitation Clearing

          Precipitation:
                       (a) Intensity
                            (b) Duration
                       (c) Location
                       (d) Area affected

    
Moderate to Heavy Light to Moderate
~Minutes to a few hours ~Many hours
Along front Ahead of front
Small Large

*The cold versus warm differences are generally greatest for fast-moving cold fronts and least for slowly moving cold fronts.