A cold front passing and bringing clear skies after days of rain and wind.

Letting people know that a cold front is approaching usually prompts sour reactions. However in many cases, cold fronts bring fair weather and clear skies along with them. While the temperature does drop as a cold front passes, it also “inverts” the atmosphere in a sense.

As the front travels over an area, short-lived (heavy at times) showers may accompany it, but usually the air behind is cold and dry which prevents cloud formation.

Thus on cold winter days, you’ll often see dramatic cloud shapes, as in the picture above, followed by clear skies with chilling, but fresh air. It all goes well with a cup of tea.