THE WIND AND TEMPERATURE STRUCTURE OF NOCTURNAL COLD FRONTS IN THE FIRST 1,420 FEET

Abstract

Results are presented of determinations of the temperature structure and relative streamlines for eleven cold fronts as obtained from data collected on the 1420-ft. TV transmitting tower at Cedar Hill, Tex. The temperature patterns were found to approximate the textbook case only when the frontal zones were strongly baroclinic and some instances of extreme overrunning were found when a pre-frontal nocturnal inversion existed. The relative flow patterns generally show a confluence of warm and cold air within the frontal zone, implying that the front cannot be treated as a substantial surface. Vertical turbulent mixing appears to be an important factor in the maintenance of the temperature structure.