Sorry for the slow development of this page.  My objective for this page is to make an informative site to help people learn about fronts, how to identify them on weather maps and point to places on the web with more info and perhaps models with current fronts or sites with raw data that users can analyze to locate fronts themselves.

    I. Intro
        A. Definition of a front. <ref pg 245> (refer to Texas A&M pages for detailed descriptions)
            Fronts are found along boundaries between two air masses.  A front is defined by the direction of movement of the cold air surrounding the front.  If it is advancing, it is termed a cold front, if it is retreating, a warm front. (see image above)  In similar terms, if the cold air is neither advancing nor retreating, a stationary front is present.  The fourth type of front, an occlusion, occurs when a warm/cold front takes over the opposite front.

        B. Why is it important to study fronts?
            Fronts are an important factor in weather forcasting, as they are valuable in predicting major changes in temperature.  In addition, storms are often associated with fronts entering the region. (see image above)

    II.  How to identify a front.
        The important data related to fronts includes temperatures, wind direction and intensity, precipitation and cloud cover, pressure, and dew points.  From these data, interpretation is made to locate a cold or warm front.  Since fronts are named by the direction of movement, data from past hours is needed to determine the type of front.  One set of data will only show the possible location of a front, but not necessarily the type of front.
        Accourding to table 9.2 in Meteorology <ref pg 254>, the following are helpful guidlines for identifying fronts:

        1. Fronts separate different air masses
        2. Fronts lie in troughs of low pressure and/or traverse low pressure centers.
        3. Fronts often mark a shift in wind direction.
        4. Fronts often mark a change in pressure tendencies.
        5. Fronts often mark a change in dew-point temperatures.
        6. Fronts are drawn at the warm air boundary of the frontal mixing zone.
        7. Temperatures show little variation from place to place in the air mass on the warm side of a warm or cold front.
        8. Temperatures decrease steadily, sometimes sharply, on the cold side of a warm or cold front.
        9. Temperatures rise with the approach of an occluded front, then fall with its passage.
        10. Most cloudiness and precipitation occur on the cold side of warm and cold fronts.
        11. Warm frontal clouds tend to be stratiform, with steady precipitation; cold frontal clouds are more cumuloform, with more showery precipitation.

        The data set primarily used for locating fronts is the surface conditions.  On this surface map, each weather station will be marked by a circle surrounded by numbers and a flag.  The flag is the wind information.  The number of extensions from it indicates the wind velocity.  The direction of the wind is the end of the flag, opposite all the extensions.  In the top left corner will be the temperature, in degrees F.  The lower left number is the dew point, in degrees F.  In the top right is the pressure, in millibars.  For example, if the top right says "088" the pressure is 1008.8 mb.  The number straight to the right is the pressure change in the last 3 hours, also in millibars. (+12 is +1.2mb)  Cloud cover is represented here also, by the amount of shading inside the circle.  Click here for a sample of one of these stations.  With relation to fronts, the rest of the data on the surface map isn't really necessary.  These data are collected by ground stations, with general equipment.

    III. Web resources for fronts.
         A. Links within Texas A&M University, lessons about what Fronts are.
            Air masses and weather patterns
            Air masses and surface charts

        B. Other web resources.  Sources for finding fronts on current weather maps.
            Current surface maps of the US with fronts marked, Purdue.  Observe how the fronts are located related to above information.
            Links to quite a few surface maps can be found at the University of Michigan, although quite a few of the maps are localized versions of the Purdue maps.
            Regional maps are easily accessible at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
            Another site with several regional maps.