 Fronts are generally guided by winds aloft , but do not move as quickly . Cold fronts and occluded fronts in the Northern Hemisphere usually travel from the northwest to southeast , while warm fronts move more poleward with time . In the Northern Hemisphere a warm front moves from southwest to northeast . In the Southern Hemisphere , the reverse is true ; a cold front usually moves from southwest to northeast , and a warm front moves from northwest to southeast . Movement is largely caused by the pressure gradient force ( horizontal differences in atmospheric pressure ) and the Coriolis effect , which is caused by Earth 's spinning about its axis . Frontal zones can be slowed down by geographic features like mountains and large bodies of warm water . 
