Stationary front
Also called stationary front symbol, quasi-stationary front
Weather-map symbol. A chart convention, not a forecast icon.
Weather-map symbolsStationary front meaning
A stationary front has triangles and half-moons on opposite sides, each pointing back toward the air it names. The boundary is not advancing.
At a glance
- System
- Synoptic chart convention
- Used for
- A front with little motion
- Not the same as
- An occluded front
A front that is not moving. Ornaments sit on opposite sides of the line.
The name. Triangles and half-moons on opposite sides, each pointing away from its own air.
Where it comes from
JetStream draws a stationary front with alternating colors, triangles and half-moons on opposite sides, pointing away from their air masses. The cold side keeps the triangles. The warm side keeps the half-moons. Neither ornament is marching the line across the map. This drawing puts triangles on one side and half-moons on the other, in one ink.
The line drawing is original to this cabinet. It is not an agency logo, a vendor icon, or the emoji for the same idea.
Weather
What it means
Two air masses are in contact and neither is winning. The weather can still be active. “Stationary” is about the boundary’s motion, not about a calm sky. An occluded front is the one that has already overtaken, and its ornaments share a side.
Questions
How is a stationary front drawn?
Triangles and half-moons on opposite sides of the line. JetStream also alternates the colors. The opposite sides are the part that means the front is not advancing.
Does stationary mean no weather?
No. It means the boundary is not moving as a cold or warm front would. Cloud and rain can still sit on it.
Near this
- Cold frontA line with triangles in the direction of motion. Cold air is advancing. The color is a publisher’s aid.
- Warm frontA line with half-moons in the direction of motion. Warmer air is advancing.
- Occluded frontA front that has caught up. Alternating triangles and half-moons share one side of the line.
- Low pressureAn L for a low-pressure center. Not a rain icon, and not a cold front.
Sources
Named when the entry depends on a text, a date, or a standard. Catalog numbers are not invented.
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symbol.wiki, edited as Sigilla. Last reviewed 18 October 2026. A reading of public tradition, not a ruling.