冷锋英语：cold front，是锋的一种，主要是指冷气团主动向暖气团推进，并取代暖气团原有位置所形成的锋。由于冷气团的密度大，暖气团的密度小，所以冷暖气团相遇时，冷气团就会插到暖气团的下面，暖气团被迫抬升。在上升过程中，大气逐渐冷却，如果暖气团中含有大量的水分，就会形成降水天气；如果水汽含量较少，便形成多云天气。

在北半球，大多数的冷锋都会在9月至4月，即通常夏季外，全年都会出现冷锋，在大陆高压区中形成，通常最早的冷锋八月底开始，最晚的冷锋六月初结束，但亦有罕见的七月冷锋（例：2015年7月，中国受到冷锋影响，冷锋一路南下至福建一带。）。 **处于冷锋和暖锋交界处，常出现滞留锋，有阴雨连绵的天气。 冷锋过境时，气压上升，气温骤降。在高纬度冷锋一年四季都会出现，而在中纬度通常是在冬季出现，一般的冷锋会在北纬20°／南纬20°就会消散缓和，故一般冷锋都难以在低纬度出现，除非该冷锋其后的冬季季候风带有极高的气压和风力，足以抵御来自赤道的海洋气流，才会有机会进入北纬10°／南纬10°或以上的热带气候区（例：2009年1月，泰国首府曼谷受到冷锋影响而气温急降至摄氏15度。），但东北季风的影响，可及于赤道地区的新加坡一带。在天气图中，冷锋通常以一条有三角形的蓝线表示(见图)，而三角型所指的方向就是冷锋行走的方向。

A cold front is defined as the leading edge of a cooler mass of air, replacing at ground level a warmer mass of air, which lies within a fairly sharp surface trough of low pressure. It forms in the wake of an extratropical cyclone, at the leading edge of its cold air advection pattern, which is also known as the cyclone's dry conveyor belt circulation. Temperature changes across the boundary can exceed 30 °C (54 °F). When enough moisture is present, rain can occur along the boundary. If there is significant instability along the boundary, a narrow line of thunderstorms can form along the frontal zone. If instability is less, a broad shield of rain can move in behind the front, which increases the temperature difference across the boundary. Cold fronts are stronger in the fall and spring transition seasons and weakest during the summer. When a cold front catches up with the preceding warm front, the portion of the boundary that does so is then known as an occluded front.