Vertical cross sections of the Detached Warm Fronts do not differ from the classical band-type Warm Front.

As described before, the isentropes of the equivalent potential temperature across the Detached Warm Front show a high gradient zone through the whole troposphere, which is inclined upwards from low to high levels. The colder air can be found in front of and below the high gradient zone, the warmer air being in front, and above it (see Meteorological physical background).

The field of humidity shows high values immediately behind and above the frontal surface of the Warm Front. Low values can be found below the high gradient zone of the equivalent potential temperature.

Like the distribution of humidity, the field of temperature advection can also be separated into two parts. WA exists above and within the high gradient zone of the Warm Front. The maximum of the WA can be found within the high gradient zone where it often has several maxima from low up to high levels. On the other hand CA can be found below and in front of the high gradient zone. In actual cases the isentropes forming the lower boundary of the frontal surface do not represent the transition from WA to CA, but WA can also mostly be found far below the frontal surface while CA exists only at a larger distance from the surface front.

At the leading part of the system, above the frontal surface at approximately 300 hPa, a pronounced isotach maximum can be observed.

Well developed fronts are accompanied by a zone of distinct convergence within and divergence above the frontal zone. Consequently, upward vertical motion can be found above the frontal zone, responsible for cloud development.

In the ideal case, the satellite radiance values across the Warm Front are characterized by typical distributions. While the IR image shows continuously increasing values of grey shades from the rear to the leading edge across the frontal area, the distribution of the grey shades in the VIS image is reversed (see Cloud structure in satellite image). In contrast, the WV image shows high pixel values within the frontal cloudiness and a pronounced minimum associated with the dry air in front. In reality, these variations of grey shades for Detached Warm Fronts are, by far, not as clear as in the ideal conceptual model.

The first cross section shows the high gradient zones of the equivalent potential temperature of a pronounced surface Warm Front with intense WA, especially through the whole troposphere. The IR radiance values are characterized by high pixel values in the centre of the Warm Front cloudiness (pixel values between approximately 190 and 200 units). Lower pixel values, in connection with the dry (anticyclonic) side (and the superimposed jet), can be found in the leading part of the Warm Front (pixel values between approximately 160 and 180 units). The field of relative humidity shows high values within the lower to mid-levels, also immediately behind the surface front (above 80%). The third cross section shows, in the lower and mid-levels, intense upward motion within the high gradient zone which is caused by a zone of convergence in low and mid-levels of the troposphere situated within and below the frontal surface. Divergence can be found above the frontal surface. The fourth cross section is characterized by a pronounced isotach maximum within the leading part of the Detached Warm Front at approximately 200 hPa. This maximum is accompanied by a decrease of the WV pixel values.