A cold front is a boundary that separates cold air masses from warm air masses, typically represented as a line on weather maps. It occurs when a cold air mass begins to move toward a warmer air mass, forcing the warmer air to rise. As this happens, the rising air cools, leading to the condensation of moisture in the warm air, which can result in cloud formation and precipitation. Cold fronts are often associated with abrupt weather changes, including drops in temperature, increased wind speed, and the potential for thunderstorms. They typically move quickly and can cause a significant change in weather conditions over a short period.