Which statement is TRUE when comparing cold and warm fronts?

When comparing cold and warm fronts, the correct statement highlights that cold fronts are more violent and of shorter duration. Cold fronts occur when a mass of cold, dense air pushes into an area occupied by warmer air. This swift movement of cold air forces the warmer air to rise abruptly, creating steep gradients in the atmosphere. As the warm air rises rapidly, it often leads to the formation of cumulonimbus clouds, resulting in quick, intense weather phenomena such as storms, heavy rainfall, and sometimes severe weather, including thunderstorms.

This rapid development of weather associated with cold fronts explains their violent nature, characterized by strong winds and heavy precipitation. Although these storms can be intense, they typically do not last long, often passing quickly, thereby leading to a short duration of adverse weather conditions before clearer skies return.

In contrast, warm fronts typically result in more gradual atmospheric changes, with warm air rising gently over the cooler air, leading to widespread but less severe precipitation that can last longer. Therefore, the statement about cold fronts being more violent and of shorter duration accurately summarizes the nature of cold fronts compared to warm fronts.