The relationships between temperature gradient and wind during cold frontal passages in the eastern United States: A numerical modeling study

Abstract

Cold frontal passages are a common occurrence throughout the eastern United States. Previous observational research showed the surprising result that there is only a very weak, statistically nonsignificant relationship between a cold front's maximum 2-min sustained wind and the across-front temperature gradient. By using the WRF-ARW model to simulate eight cold fronts, we re-examine the relationship between temperature gradient and wind near the surface, and provide additional analysis. Results confirm previous observational research that found no relationship between wind speed and cross-frontal temperature gradient. The agreement between studies suggests that the lack of relationship may be physical and not a result of undersampling.