Counting Cold Fronts
This week's strong cold front reached all the way to Mexico. Because it was Mexico's first cold front of the season, meteorologists there named it "Cold Front #1."
Why do meteorologists count and name cold fronts?
Cold fronts do not reach Mexico during the summer months. Now, weather patterns are shifting as the fall Equinox approaches. The northern hemisphere is no longer titled toward the sun. Large, cold air masses can form in the north; they will move farther and farther south as the season progresses.
Each time a cold front crosses the US/Mexican border, meteorologists count it and give it a number. Just as hurricanes are named because they are significant weather events, the cold fronts that reach Mexico can bring strong storms and freezing temperatures to that country during the winter.
How are cold fronts related to monarchs and migration?
In the fall, cold fronts (and the air masses that follow) typically provide the north winds monarchs use to ride to Mexico.
In the winter, cold fronts can reach as far south as the monarch overwintering sites. The fronts can cause severe storms; the cold air masses can cause sub-freezing temperatures in the monarch's winter colonies.
Let's Count Cold Fronts
You can count cold fronts this season with the meteorologists in Mexico. Last year, they counted a total of 44 cold fronts. The last one occurred on May 13, 2011. What will this winter bring?
This year's first cold front is labeled "FF No. 1" on the map. Look for it in central Texas.
In Spanish, a cold front is called a "frente frio" so is abbreviated "FF."