In the past, experimental investigations as well as theoretical considerations have shown that within fronts and inversions wind shear and vertical temperature gradient adjust in such a way that the Richardson number is at its critical value. Results from aircraft measurements now suggest that the shear within moving cold fronts, warm fronts and inversions shows different behaviour because of the different mechanisms controlling the Richardson numbers. This leads to higher Richardson numbers, and therefore to lower amounts of wind shear within moving cold fronts when compared to warm fronts and inversions.