What type of front is characterized by cold air lifting over warm air?

The phenomenon described in the question is indicative of a cold front. In meteorological terms, a cold front occurs when a mass of colder air is advancing into an area occupied by warmer air. This colder, denser air pushes underneath the lighter warm air, forcing the warm air to rise. As the warm air is raised, it cools, leading to condensation and often resulting in cloud formation, precipitation, and sometimes severe weather phenomena such as thunderstorms.

This process of cold air lifting the warm air is critical to the dynamics of weather systems and is a fundamental characteristic of cold fronts, distinguishing them from other front types. In contrast, a warm front involves warm air moving over cold air, whereas stationary fronts occur when two air masses are parallel and neither is prevailing over the other. Occluded fronts are associated with complex interactions as a cold front overtakes a warm front, leading to a different set of weather conditions. Understanding these characteristics helps in predicting weather patterns effectively.