Explain the role of the polar front and the air masses that come in conflict in the polar front zone in the temperature and precipitation cycles of the mid latitude and high latitude climates.

Polar front is an area where cold polar winds meet hot tropical air masses. Temperature of these two air masses is very different and leads to formation of stationary front.
In the polar cold front the cold air moves downward while the warm tropical air moves up when pressure drop happens along the front, this leads to anti-clockwise cyclonic circulations in the mid-latitudes with a warm front and cold front. These extra-tropical cyclones bring.

• In this the pocket of warm air is wedged between cold air , warm air glides over the cold and precipitates forming clouds,
• The cold front approaches the warm air and pushes the warm air up. Cumulus clouds are developed along the cold front.
• The cold front moves fasterthan the warm front ultimately overtaking the warm front.
• The warm air is completely lifted up and the front is occluded front is formedand the cyclone dissipates.
• These frontal cyclones exist for 3-10 days and move from west to east.
• The approach of the cyclone is marked by fall in temperature and light drizzle. When warm front approaches temperature rises and rainfall stops.

Arrival of Cold front again leads to fall in temperature and heavy rainfall with thunder

Topics: GS-I: Important Geophysical Phenomena