DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_72.txt
Page: 72
Total Pages: 106
DESERT STORM                                      17 February 1991

General Weather.  A low-pressure area moved northeast from 
central Iraq across Iran as its cold front moved through most of
Iraq.  A weak secondary low (shown in Figure 3-34) formed along 
the front in south-central Iraq near the Saudi Arabian border.  The 
cold front continued southward into central Saudi Arabia and
weakened.  High pressure intensified behind the front.

Area of Interest.  Rain fell along the front in northern Saudi Arabia 
early in the day, but moved into central Saudi Arabia by evening.  
Visibilities were 8 km, but dropped to 4,700 meters in a 1500Z 
thunderstorm in west-central Saudi Arabia.  Blowing dust ahead of 
the front dropped visibility as low as 1700 meters.  Duststorms 
behind the front dropped visibility as low as 900 meters in western 
Iraq.  Skies over central Saudi Arabia were scattered at 4,000 feet, 
and broken to overcast at 10,000 feet.

Area of Intense Interest.  Cloud cover from 0000 to ll00Z was
broken to overcast with layered low and middle clouds; ceilings
were 3,000 feet, tops to 15,000 feet.  Skies over southern Iraq and
Kuwait were overcast at between 20,000 and 35,000 feet.  Skies in
Iraq began to clear by l100Z, leaving scattered low clouds from
3,000 to 6,000 feet that continued moving east and south; all of
Iraq, except for its extreme eastern border, was clear after l600Z.

Rain and rainshowers fell over northeastern Saudi Arabia,
southeastern Iraq, and Kuwait.  The bases of late-morning
thunderstorms near the Saudi Arabia-Iraq border were 3,000 feet
with tops to 35,000 feet.  The rain moved eastward by evening.

Winds were southerly to southeasterly at 5-15 knots ahead of the
low and cold front and northerly to nothwesterly at 5-20 knots
behind it.  Speeds diminished to 5-10 knots in the evening.

Visibility in rain was 4,700 meters. Blowing dust in some areas of
northeastern Saudi Arabia that had remained dry lowered visibilities
to 6 km.  Evening fog formed locally where rain had fallen, lowering
visibilities to 6 km.

Daytime temperatures were highest (20( C) in the west where skies
cleared first, but highs in the east were as low as 14( C.  Daily lows
were in the evening after the cold front had passed.  Lows ranged
from 6( C in the north to 12( C in the south.



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