warm front

[ wawrm fruhnt ]

noun

, Meteorology.

1. a transition zone between a mass of warm air and the colder air it is replacing.

warm front

noun

1. meteorol the boundary between a warm air mass and the cold air above which it is rising, at a less steep angle than at the cold front Compare cold front occluded front

warm front

1. The forward edge of an advancing mass of warm air that rises over and replaces a retreating mass of cooler air. As it rises, the warm air cools and the water vapor in it condenses, usually forming steady rain, sleet, or snow. On a weather map, a warm front is depicted as a red line with half circles whose curved sides point in the direction in which the warm air is moving.
2. Compare cold frontSee illustration at front

Word History and Origins

Origin of warm front¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Kayla Mazurkiewicz, a meteorologist with the weather service in Seattle, said it’s unclear whether or not the warm front is a sign of more warmer days to come, but she can’t rule it out either.

From Seattle Times

Temperatures will trend upward as the workweek starts, too, with some areas hitting records as a warm front moves north from California to Canada.

From Seattle Times

Meteorologists described the atmosphere early Wednesday as “a race between another warm front” arriving from the Pacific Coast, and an “upper level ridge” of colder air amassing to the east.

From Seattle Times

The storm system is expected to move east and drag a warm front across the area Friday, followed by a cold front Friday evening into Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times

The warm front is more like a giant dome of warmth; it’s spinning clockwise and shielding the Southeast and mid-Atlantic states from the storm’s effects.

From Los Angeles Times