DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_02.txt
Page: 02
Total Pages: 106
              





               DESERT STORM			 17 January 1991
              
               General Weather. With high pressure centered In north-central
               Saudi Arabia, a weak frontal system dragged across northern Iraq
               as the subtropical jet stream moved from Africa into northern Saudi
               Arabia. A fast-moving frontal system that had developed in Egypt
               moved into the area, causing widespread cloudiness.  Figure 3-2
               shows this system late in the day as it entered western Iraq.
              
              Area of Interest.      The weak frontal system in northern Iraq
              produced ceilings of 8,000 feet.  An area of fog and low clouds in
              east-central Saudi  Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,  fed by
              moisture from the Persian Gulf, is shown In Figure 3-1.  It
              dissipated gradually during the day.        High clouds from Egypt moved
              in rapidly--ceilings were 20,000-25,000 feet early in the morning,
              becoming 10,000-15,000 feet by the end of the day. In late
              afternoon,  5,000-foot ceilings entered north-central Saudi Arabia
              from the Red Sea  near Jeddah.  Morning ground fog in north-
              western Saudi Arabia and western Iraq dropped visibilities to as low
              as 3,200 meters.   Blowing sand and suspended dust lowered
              afternoon visibilities in north-central Saudi Arabia  3,200 meters.
              
             Area of intense interest.  There was extensive early morning
             cloud cover over the entire area.  Baghdad and the rest of Iraq
             north of 30� N was broken to overcast with ceiling from 12,000 to
             25,000 feet but the clouds moved out of the area by 1200Z.  Skies
             over Kuwait and the rest of the area south of 30� N were broken to
             overcast with ceiling of 3,000 feet becoming scattered near
             Rafha.  These clouds gradually moved southward during the day as
             their bases raised to  8,000 feet.  Broken to overcast high clouds
             from  the approaching frontal system began to move in after 1200Z,
             quickly spreading over the entire area with ceilings from 20,000 to
             25,000 feet.   The high-cloud bases thickened and lowered to
             l0,000-15,000 feet by the end of the day.
             
              Winds were from the south or southwest at 6-20 knots becoming
              southeasterly after 1200Z and 3-12 knots after sunset.
              
              Early-morning visibilities were as low as 3,200 meters with patchy
              ground fog in west-central Iraq. Blowing sand and suspended dust
              reduced visibility 3,200 meters during the afternoon on the Saudi
              Arabia-Iraq border.
              
              High temperatures were 13-22 C; lows, 6-10 C.
              
  
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