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File: aabva_02.txt
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.
3-2
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