Cold fronts and steep-gradient weather systems are maintained and characterized by complex balances of atmospheric forces, such as geostrophic and gradient-wind balances, prior to localized disruptions or ageostrophic breakdowns.
The retrieved literature (e.g., papers 2, 3, and 11) confirms that fronts and steep-gradient systems operate under foundational balanced dynamics (such as geostrophic, gradient-wind, or turbulent thermal wind balances), even when ageostrophic or instability processes are actively modifying them. Therefore, the claim is supported by the meteorological evidence.