Differences between the Dry Line and Cold Front?

[Drew.Gardonia]

I was wondering how you can figure out where the dry line is at, and how to tell the difference between a cold front and a dry line, as well as identifying it on a radar, satellite, or dew point map?

I've checked a few weather glossaries, and on wikipedia, but I didn't find the explanations sufficient to my level of knowledge so that I could understand what was being said.

If someone could help provide an understandable explanation I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm pretty new at all of this, and still trying to figure everything out.

Thanks!

 

[Larry J. Kosch]

Primer on Cold Fronts, Warm Fronts and Dry Line

Hello Andrew,

Let me give you a few links to check out:

For Dry Line:

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/dfdef.rxml

For Cold Front:

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/af/frnts/cfrnt/def.rxml

Basically you can use a dewpoint map like this one to find the dry line:

http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfc/dewp/sfctdpslp.rxml

The dry line shows up before a cold front and is usually located on the cold front boundary below the warm front. There is usually a low pressure center that is wheeling the warm front up and pushing the cold front forward. If you think of a secondary front attached to the cold front and bowing out and down, that is your dry line.

If you go east-west from St. Louis to Denver for example, you will go thru the warm air mass behind the warm front. Dew points are high with winds from the SSE.Then you will encounter the dry line where the dew point is high with SSE winds, then it drops 20-30 degrees and winds shift to SSW when you pass thru the dry line. Then right before you get to Denver, you will encounter the cold front. Dew points drops like a rock, you will encounter wind shifts and of course, a wickedly bad thunderstorm line that will blow you all the way back to St. Louie!!

this website is a good educational source:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/home.rxml

Thanks for asking!!

 

[Drew.Gardonia]

thx for the info Larry!! should give me something good to read for a bit!