DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_27.txt
Page: 27
Total Pages: 106
DESERT STORM 26 January 1991

General Weather. The low-pressure system shown in Figure 3-11
moved east-southeast across Jordan into northern Saudi' Arabia by
1200Z. It then turned east and northeast to cross southern Iraq,
where it produced showers and thundershowers from about 1600
to 2300Z, as shown in Figure 3-12. By 1800Z, a weak secondary
low had formed along the front in Saudi Arabia near 27( N. 44( E,
and moved slowly east.  High pressure moved in during the
evening, clearing skies over Jordan, Syria, and western and central
Iraq. The subtropical Jet stream crossed central Saudi Arabia and
e ~ Bug
Area of Interest. The low-pressure system produced light snow
over southern Syria and light rain showers in northern Saudi Arabia
and western Iraq. Blowing dust south of the rag in Saudi Arabia
reduced visibility's 10 5 km. Winds were 20 knots around the low.
but reached 30 knots with rain in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Area of Intense Interest. Some cloud cover from the previous
day's system remained in eastern Iraq east of 44� F. Broken low
cloud with bases at 2,000 feet and tops 10 6,000 feet persisted until
0900Z. The low moving across southern Iraq produced extensive
cloudiness, as weft as thunderstorms with bases at 2,000 feet and
tops to 35,000 feet. Broken low clouds extended Tom 4,000 to
6,000 feet; broken middle clouds, from 10,000 to 18,000 feet.
Ceilings were as low as 800 feet in rain showers. The subtropical
Jet stream produced scattered to broken middle clouds from l0,000
15,000 few and high clouds from 25,000 to 30,000 feet.
Precipitation fell as light rain and rainshowers in Saudi Arabia
around the low. Rainshowers also fell in Iraq.
ads were northwesterly at 5-15 knots most of the day, becoming
northwesterly as the storm system approached and nodhwestedy
again as It passed. Peak speeds were 23 knots probably higher

In Iraq.
Visibilities In eastern Iraq were 6 km in haze early in the day
through 0600Z. Later In the day, visibilities on the south sides of
showers and duststorms were reduced to 8 km.
3-26