Which of the following best describes the characteristics of a cold front?

The characteristic that best describes a cold front is cold air displacing warm air. In meteorological terms, this phenomenon occurs when a mass of colder, denser air moves into an area occupied by warmer air. The cold front acts as a boundary where the cold air forces the warm air to rise rapidly. This rising warm air can lead to the development of cumulus clouds and often results in precipitation, thunderstorms, or changes in weather conditions.

The other options describe processes or conditions that do not capture the essential mechanics of a cold front. Warm air rising over cold air pertains more to the behavior of warm fronts, where warm air glides over retreating cold air masses. This dynamic is a fundamental difference in how weather fronts interact with the atmosphere. When two air masses have similar temperatures, it leads to a stationary front rather than the dynamic changes characteristic of a cold front. Lastly, stable weather patterns are typically associated with high-pressure systems or warm fronts, which are often marked by gradual changes and minimal precipitation, distinct from the often turbulent weather associated with the passage of a cold front.