Polar Front Theory - Development and Evolution of a Wave Cyclone, Cont.

(c)- A fully-developed "wave cyclone" is seen 12-24 hours from its inception. It consists of:

• a warm front moving to the northeast
• a cold front moving to the southeast
• region between warm and cold fronts is the "warm sector"
• the central low pressure (low, which is deepening with time)
• overrunning of warm air over the warm front
• cold air surging southward behind the cold front
• wide-spread precip ahead of the warm front
• narrow band of precip along the cold front
• Wind speeds continue to get stronger as the low deepens - the Available Potential Energy (APE)is being converted to Kinetic Energy (KE)
• The production of clouds and precip also generates energy for the storm as Latent Heat is released