The volcano that changed the weather: How did Pinatubo contribute to record snowfall in Jordan in the winter of 1992?

Arab Weather - In the summer of 1991, the world witnessed one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in modern history, when Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted, releasing an estimated 17 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere. The impact of this event was not limited to local conditions, but extended to cause global climate disruptions, leaving their clear mark in the winter of 1991-1992, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean and Levant, including Jordan.

A volcano erupted and the climate was disturbed!

The massive explosion created a reflective layer of sulfur in the stratosphere, which reduced the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, causing average global temperatures to drop by about half a degree Celsius.

But what matters to our region is that this explosion led to an unusual redistribution of atmospheric systems:

• Warm and dry in Western Europe,
• Recurring polar surges towards the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant.

An exceptional winter in Jordan: 7 snowstorms and 120 cm of snow in the capital, Amman!

As a result of this climatic imbalance, the Kingdom experienced an unprecedented winter in 1992:

The country was hit by 7 consecutive snowstorms,

Snow accumulated in some areas to more than 120 cm,

Low temperatures and rare, severe frost waves were recorded.

Although the impact of Mount Pinatubo gradually weakened a year later, the winter of 1992 remains a landmark in Jordanian climate records and is still cited today as one of the most striking examples of how a geological event can reshape weather equations around the world.

And God knows best.