When a hurricane passes over colder water or land and loses its tropical characteristics, the storm becomes a(n) ____________.

When a hurricane moves over colder water or land, it undergoes a transformation that results in the loss of its tropical characteristics. This process leads to the development of an extratropical low-pressure system. An extratropical low typically forms as a cyclone that is no longer fueled by warm ocean waters; instead, it derives energy from temperature differences between air masses. As the hurricane's warm core dissipates, it often takes on a more frontal structure, characterized by a cold front and a warm front, similar to the systems typically seen in mid-latitude weather patterns.

The identification of the storm as an extratropical low-pressure system is significant because it indicates that while the storm has weakened and lost its tropical nature, it can still produce hazardous weather, including severe winds and heavy precipitation. In contrast, a storm surge refers to the rise in sea level associated with a storm, particularly hurricanes, and does not apply to the transformation of the storm itself. A tropical storm is a distinct category of storm that retains its tropical characteristics and is characterized by a warm core. Weather fronts are boundaries between different air masses but do not pertain directly to the classification of a hurricane as it transitions over colder waters or land.