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File: aabva_07.txt
DESERT STORM 19 January 1991
General Weather. High pressure was centered in central Iraq and
central Saudi Arabia. The subtropical jet stream continued across
the northern Red Sea through Kuwait to southeastern Iraq. The
seasonal frontal system beneath the jet stream became active
when an upper-air disturbance crossed it. A low-pressure cell
developed and moved the front southward. Another weak low-
pressure area formed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Area of Interest. Skies in extreme northwestern Saudi Arabia, as
well as in western and northern Iraq, were clear. The only
exception was a broken 3,000-foot layer from the Mediterranean
Sea that lingered all day along the Iraq-Jordan-Syria border. By
0300Z, fog and low clouds with bases of 500-1,000 feet reduced
visibility to as low as 800 meters over northwestern Saudi Arabia
western Iraq, and most of northern Iraq. By 1200Z, these areas
had cleared except along the northwestern Saudi Arabia-Iraq
border, where low cellings and visibilities persisted throughout
day. In northern Saudi Arabia eastward from 42� E, ceilings were
100-200 feet with visibilities near zero. At midday, callings and
visibilities rose briefly 1,500 feet and 3,200 meters in fog, then
dropped quickly 100 feet and 800 meters. Light drizzle persisted
until late evening. Scattered to broken middle and high clouds,
layered to 25,000 feet with bases at 10,000 feet stretched from the
Red Sea across northern and cental Saudi Arabia. These Clouds
spread northward after 1200Z to cover northwestern Saudi Arabia
and western Iraq, as with Broken clouds with 4,000-foot bases
continued to move from the Red Sea near Jeddah into north-central
Saudi Arabia. The blowing dust that lowered visibilities to 4,800
meters in central Saudi Arabia during late morning extended into
northeastern Saudi Arabia by afternoon.
Area of intense Interest. As shown Figure 3-4, The entire area
was covered by low Clouds with bases at 100-200 feet By 1200Z,
the northern pad (including Baghdad) had cleared. Callings in the
southern section rose briefly at midday 1,000-1,500 feet then
returned to 500-1,000 feet for the rest of the day. After sunset,
clouds spread northward into the Baghdad area, where ceilings
were 1,500 feet. Middle and high clouds, layered to 25,OOO feet
with bases at 10,000 feet, were also present over the southern
section throughout the day.
3-7
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