Weather Inaccuracy -Fronts

[CaptKaspar]

This isn't exactly a bug, but it was something I saw that was wrong. 

 

In the admin panel for "Climate Control" there are options to choose a "Warm front (volatile weather)" and a "Cold front (calm weather)". This is backwards.

 

Meteorology and understanding weather patterns is vital to the safety of my profession.

 

Warmer are is typically less dense than colder air. The denser air will always want to be on the bottom. 

 

Warm fronts do not cause volatile weather. They cause stable weather. Usually a large area of overcast weather with stable precipitation. There is little vertical movement of air associated with a warm front. They are like a warm blanket dropped on top of a colder air mass. Warm air does not displace cold air and so there is little to no volatility to the air. The warm front slowly transfers its heat into the colder air mass. So they appear to move slowly, but are really just transferring their heat into the colder air mass until it matches the temperature of the warmer air mass. Eventually their temperature differential becomes equal and the front "dies". Weather associated with warm fronts can last days. 

 

Cold fronts on the other hand are like a broom coming through. They do cause volatile and violent weather. This is because a colder air mass is coming in and displacing the relatively warmer air mass. This causes the warmer air mass to rise. When that warmer air mass rises (along with its moisture) it causes severe storms. They cause unstable air and brief but intense storms. Weather associated with cold fronts rarely last more than half a day and often only for a few hours.