Climatology of Stationary Fronts between 2004 and 2023

Stationary Fronts are a common weather phenomenon that occurs when two air masses of differing temperatures move very slowly or neither. The lack of movement can cause the uplifted air between the masses to stay for long periods of time, causing precipitation and extreme weather. In order to understand the precipitation’s linkage with stationary fronts, it is important to first understand where and when stationary fronts occur. Past studies have looked at this topic but were often more focused on cold and warm fronts since they can contribute more to extreme weather, and the studies are now outdated. Therefore, in this study we looked at the overall frequency and distribution of stationary fronts between 2004 and 2023, so that future work can use these findings and examine relationships between extreme weather and stationary fronts. This study found that there is a considerable seasonal variation between the cold and warm seasons, and that there has been an overall increase in the number of stationary fronts since 2004. We also concluded that stationary fronts are increasing in frequency in much of the continental U.S, northern Alaska, and the Canadian Rockies, and have decreased in oceanic regions near North America, as well as Mexico and the Gulf of Alaska. We also found that the warm season has stationary fronts mostly in northern Alaska and central U.S, while the cold season is dominated in the rocky mountain region.