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Air Masses and Fronts
Chapter 16 section 2
S6E4.b – Relate unequal heating of
land and water surfaces to form large
global wind systems and weather.
S6E4.c – Relate how moisture
evaporating from the oceans affects
the weather patterns and the
weather events such as hurricanes.
Air Masses
Air mass – is a large body of air where
temperature and moisture content are
similar throughout.
 Moisture content and temp are determined
by the area over which the air mass forms
called source regions.
 Represented on maps by two-letter
symbols; first letter – moisture content,
second letter - temperature
Air Mass Abbreviations

cP: Continental Polar


means over land and
DRY & COLD
cT: Continental
Tropical

Over land and DRY &
WARM

mP: Maritime Polar

Over water and
HUMID & COLD

mT: Maritime Tropical

Over Water and HUMID
& WARM
c- Continental~ forms over land; dry
 m- Maritime~ forms over water; wet
 p- Polar~ forms over the Polar regions;
cold
 t- Tropical~ forms over the Tropics; warm

Cold Air Masses (3)


Continental polar
(cP)-


From Northern
Canada
Brings extreme cold
temperatures
Brings cool, dry
summers
Cold Air Masses


Maritime polar (mP)
(Forms in 2 places)



Forms over North
Pacific or North Atlantic
Ocean
Cool and wet
Rainy & Snowy in the
winter
Cool & Foggy in the
summer
Warm Air Masses (4)

Maritime tropical (mT)



Forms over Pacific,
Atlantic, and Gulf of
Mexico
Winter they bring
mild, often cloudy
weather
Summer, hot and
humid weather,
hurricanes, and
thunderstorms.
Warm Air Masses

Continental tropical
(cT)


Forms over the
deserts of northern
Mexico & US
Moves northward and
brings clear, dry, and
hot weather.
Air Masses of North America
Review
1.
2.
What are the major
air masses that
influence the
weather in the
United States?
What is one source
region of a maritime
polar air mass?
1.
2.
Continental polar,
maritime polar,
maritime tropical,
and continental
tropical.
The North Pacific
and the North
Atlantic Oceans.
Review
3. Why does the Pacific
Coast have cool, wet
winters and warm, dry
summers?
3. Cool, wet winters are
affected by a maritime
polar air mass.
Summers are affected
by a dry continental
air mass.