What occurs during a warm front?

During a warm front, warm air rises over cold air. This phenomenon occurs because warm air is less dense than cold air, allowing it to ascend gradually as the warm air mass approaches the cold air mass. As the warm air rises, it cools and condenses, leading to the formation of clouds and precipitation. This process often creates broad areas of cloudiness and light to moderate rainfall ahead of the front, providing distinct weather patterns associated with warm fronts.

In contrast, when cold air displaces warm air, it is characteristic of a cold front, where the denser cold air pushes beneath the warm air, leading to more abrupt weather changes. The mixing of air masses is not uniform in a warm front scenario, as it is the warm air that continuously rises rather than both air masses evenly interacting at the frontal boundary.