DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_81.txt
Page: 81
Total Pages: 106
DESERT STORM                                           21 February 1991

General Weather. A low-pressure system moving south along the
Persian Gulf neared Dhahran by 0300Z; by 1500Z, It was on the
United Arab Emirates coast near 53( E. Its cloudless cold front
extended southwest across the Arabian Penensula. By 0900Z, an
area of high pressure had formed in northwestern Saudi Arabia
near the Iraqi border.

Area of Interest. The low-pressure system spread a wide area of
clouds, rain, and isolated thunderstormsover the Persian Gulf and
along the coast as It passed. Ceilings were generally 10,000 feet
in rainshowers, but ceilings in thunderstorms were reported at
3,000 feet.  Inland, the front caused duststorms as it passed,
reducing visibilities in some places to 800 meters. Fog blanketed
northern Saudi Arabia in the wake of the low-pressure system, but
dissipated by 0800Z at most locations; visibilities were as low as
2,800 meters along the coast but much lower in protected wadis.
Along the eastern Saudi Arabian coast visibilities were 4,800
meters in dense haze. Between 0500 and 1300Z, sporadic
duststorms reduced visibilities to 6 km in the Syrian Desert.

Area of Intense Interest.  An overcast layer of low clouds resulted
in 500-foot ceilings over Kuwait and Iraq south of Baghdad. Cloud
tops were about 1,200 feet The clouds lifted to 1,000-3,000 feet
by 0500Z and dissipated by 0700Z. South of 29( N. broken middle
clouds with 10,000-foot bases persisted until about 0700Z. Skies
were clear after 0900Z.

Winds were northeasterly or northerly at 10 knots In the south,
easterly at 10-15 knots In the North.  Central Iraq's winds were light
and variable.  Highest speeds--20 knots along the northeastern
Saudi Arabian border-were reported at 1500Z.

Figure 3-39 shows the fog; blades of 500 meters were common.
The fog dissipated in the northwest first, but lingered until 0800Z in
Kuwait and Iraq south of 32(N.  Dense smoke reduced visibilities
in southern Kuwait and northern Saudi Arabia.

The afternoon high temperature was 15(C. Morning lows were 6-
11(C, but by evening, temperatures In the north had fallen to about
3(C



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