From the climate archives: The deepest air depression affected the Kingdom in March.

Arab Weather - March is a month characterized by significant weather fluctuations, with temperatures fluctuating between high and low temperatures due to changes in weather systems. March witnesses the overlap of several weather patterns, creating a conflict between cold air masses coming from the north and warm air masses coming from the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Peninsula. These air masses usually accompany the activity of the Khamaseen depressions that affect the Kingdom in the spring and at the beginning of March, contributing to rapid changes in the weather. These depressions are usually accompanied by warm, dusty conditions, and sometimes even dust storms.

Low pressure systems in March in previous years

In previous years, the Kingdom has been affected by several low-pressure systems during March, but their effects vary depending on their type and source. The Khamaseen desert low-pressure system is active in March, especially late March, sweeping across North Africa, bringing warm, dusty winds. Khamaseen weather conditions prevail, and are usually followed by a significant drop in temperatures and, at times, rainfall, which typically takes the form of mud showers.

In previous years, the Kingdom has also witnessed the arrival of several cold air masses during the month of March, which, according to climate records, produced cold and rainy winter depressions accompanied by weather similar to that of January. A prime example of this is March 2022, which ended with weather that can be described as unusual. Cold and polar air masses arrived in an unusual manner, and temperatures were significantly lower than their expected averages across all regions of the Kingdom. Rain and snow fell, and severe waves of frost and freezing occurred, making March 2022 the coldest month in approximately 19 years.

From the climate archives: The deepest air depression affected the Kingdom in March.

One of the most notable of these weather events occurred on March 14, 1998, when Jordan was affected by the deepest low pressure system in climate records, the Khamaseen, which brought with it sandstorms considered among the most powerful to have affected Jordan and the region. Wind speeds reached nearly 100 km/h, and maximum temperatures exceeded 20 degrees, followed by a snowstorm.

On Sunday, March 15, 1998, severe sandstorms arose in Egypt and moved to Jordan and the Levant. On Monday, March 16, 1998, satellite images show that Jordan and the Levant had completely disappeared under a severe sandstorm. The temperature was approaching 30 degrees Celsius in Amman, and a deep depression was pulling cold, polar currents from the north toward the region.

On Tuesday, March 17, 1998, the remnants of the sandstorm were still affecting the Kingdom, with a significant drop in temperatures and the onset of heavy rain and hail in some areas, followed by snowfall and accumulation (in yellow in some areas) due to the snow mixing with dust suspended in the atmosphere.

On Wednesday, March 18, 1998, a polar air mass affected the Kingdom and the Levant, with snow falling on the highlands. This means that March was a month of weather fluctuations, according to the climate archive.

And God knows best.