🔍 Key Concepts

• The typical pressure pattern over the central U.S. and Gulf of Mexico when a strong cold front passes in winter • Relationship between cyclones (low pressure), anticyclones (high pressure), and the direction/temperature of the winds they bring • Where the cold, dry air mass that causes Gulf "Northers" usually comes from

💭 Think About

• Think about what the weather is usually like just after a strong cold front moves off the Texas/Louisiana coast into the Gulf in winter: is the pressure rising or falling? • Which type of system—low or high pressure—tends to push cold continental air southward into the Gulf, producing strong northerly winds? • Look closely at the choices: is there any overlap in meaning between "anticyclone" and "high pressure system" that might help you eliminate an option?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on the definitions: cyclone = low pressure, anticyclone = high pressure in Northern Hemisphere meteorology • Confirm which system is typically behind the cold front, bringing strong, gusty north winds over the Gulf in winter • Eliminate any answer that would require two different system types to be responsible for the same named phenomenon if they actually describe opposite pressure patterns