DESERT STORM WEATHER 17 JANUARY-2 MARCH 1991

File: aabva_97.txt
Page: 97
Total Pages: 106
DESERT STORM                                              27 February 1991

General Weather. A low-pressure cell that had been centered In
southeastern Iraq at 0000Z slid southeastward into the Persian Gulf
throughout the day. A weak frontal system In the eastern
Mediterranean Sea moved onshore and was In central Iraq by the
end of the day.

Area of Interest. In northern Iraq, broken clouds with bases of
8,000 feet persisted until late morning, when they became scattered
at 3,000 feet and eventually developed into afternoon
thunderstorms that moved northeast In western Iraq and
northwestern Saudi Arabia, skies were scattered with bases at
10,000 feet throughout the morning. Clouds from the front
approaching from the Mediterranean began moving in by ll00Z,
forming ceilings rapidly.  Rain began lowering visibilities to 5 km by
1300Z. Thunderstorms developed in the afternoon as the clouds
moved eastward. By the end of the day, clouds and rain were
confined to the western Saudi Arabia-Iraq border. In north-central
and northeastern Saudi Arabia, broken clouds, multilayered from
3,000 to 25,000 feet with rainshowers and thunderstorms,
prevailed. Visibilities were 4,800 meters in ground fog, rain, and
haze, but near zero in blowing dust from thunderstorms.  Clouds
moved slowly southeast to east-central Saudi Arabia by day's end.

Area of Intense Interest.  Broken multilayered clouds from 3,000
to 25,000 feet covered the southern half of the area, but cleared
from the northwest by noon, leaving scattered clouds at 3,000 feet
and broken clouds at 6,000-8,000 feet over southeast Iraq and
Kuwait. These also cleared by 1900Z. A smoke layer at 2,500 feet
covered most of central and southern Kuwait throughout the day.
A line of broken 4,000-foot clouds associated with the front from the
Mediterranean invaded the western part of the area by noon. The
line was past Baghdad and into north-central Saudi Arabia by the
end of the day.

Rainshowers and thunderstorms were widespread in the southern
half of the area through the morning, as shown in Figure 3-46.
Light rain fell in the western half as the front passed.

Winds were northwesterly to northeasterly at 5-15 knots (but up to
25 knots in thunderstorms) in the southern half of the area. In the
northern half, they were westerly to northwesterly at 3-10 knots.



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