DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_70.txt
Page: 70
Total Pages: 106
DESERT STORM         16 February 1991

General Weather. High pressure over Iran weakened as the
strong frontal system shown in Figure 3-33 approached from the
west The polar jet stream dipped southward into the eastern
Mediterranean as the subtropical jet stream crossed Egypt and
brought in upper-level moisture. A new low-pressure center formed
on the front over Syria by 1500Z and moved southeast The law
and its accompanying cold front reached western Iraq by 1800Z.

Area of Interest.  Multiple cloud layers covered the region
southward to 25( N with scattered to broken low clouds and
broken to overcast middle and high clouds. Light rain and
rainshowers lowered ceilings to 1,000 feet and visibilities to 1,100
meters. The blowing dust already present in northwestern Saudi
Arabia at 0000Z spread to include much of northern Saudi Arabia,
especially south of the rain. Winds up to 50 knots produced
duststorms with visibilities as low as 200 meters in northern Saudi
Arabia, Syria, and western Iraq.

Area of Intense Interest.  Cloud cover increased and ceilings
lowered during the day.  Skies were initially scattered with high
clouds from 27,000 to 30,000 feet but became broken to overcast
by morning, with multiple layers between 25,000 and 35,000 feet.
Bases lowered to 20,000 feet by 0700Z. Broken middle clouds
reached central Iraq at about 1100Z with 12,000-foot bases and
18,000-foot tops.  Scattered low clouds moved in by early evening
with 2,000-foot bases and 6,000-foot tops; middle-cloud ceilings
m down to 8,000 feet by then.  Low clouds increased in the
evening. Light rain and rainshowers lowered ceilings to 1,000 feet

Winds varied from easterly to southerly with the approaching frontal
system. Initial 5- to 10-knot speeds increased during the day. The
highest reported sustained speed was 30 knots

Winds worsened throughout the day.  Dense black smoke over
the southern half of Kuwait reduced visibilities to 6 km-- some pilots
reported certain areas as "unworkable"." Duststorms developed as
wind speeds reached 20 knots around 0900Z; speeds to 30 knots
dropped visibilities to as low as 200 meters later in the day. Local
evening visibilities were as low as 1,100 meters.

High temperatures increased to 20-25( C as the front brought warm
air into the region; lows were 6-8( C.





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