What causes the weather?

Warm and cold fronts are usually associated with low pressure systems. The cold fronts form on the southern side, where cold air is rushing southward. The warm front is on the eastern side, where warm air flows northward. Because winds typically blow from the west in our part of the world, storm systems move across the United States from the west to east.

The movement of air from high to low pressure can affect weather on large and small scales. The type of weather also depends on the season. For example, a cold front in the summer will bring rain (and maybe thunderstorms and tornadoes), while during the winter it could bring blizzards.

If you want to learn more about different kinds of fronts and the weather they produce, explore Windows to the Universe here. You can learn more about other kinds of weather (including hurricanes) here.

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