What Are Air Masses and Weather Fronts?

Book excerpt: Even though we can’t change the weather ourselves, we can understand the factors that account for changing conditions. Weather fronts are responsible for a host of meteorological phenomena, and learning how to interpret them can help us prepare for the worst of winter or celebrate the best of summer. This volume breaks down the differences between the various weather fronts and explains how they generate the weather we experience. It also examines the relationship between weather fronts, air masses, jet streams, and related events, such as El Niño.