How would you expect the winds to change with a passage of a cold front?

Study for the Transport Canada Commercial Helicopter Exam. Dive into detailed flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

When a cold front passes, a characteristic wind shift occurs. As the cold front advances, it pushes warm air upward, leading to the development of clouds and potentially storms. Behind the cold front, the wind typically veers, meaning it shifts direction to come from a more southerly or westerly point compared to where it was coming from prior to the front's arrival.

Simultaneously, the cooler air that follows a cold front is denser and can lead to an increase in wind speed. This is due to the pressure gradient becoming steeper as high-pressure air moves in behind the front, resulting in stronger winds. As a result, the expectation is for the winds to veer in direction and increase in speed after the cold front passes.

Thus, this wind behavior is characteristic of cold front dynamics and explains why the correct answer is associated with veering winds that increase in speed.

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