Jordan | 60 cm of snow... The story of the heaviest snow since 2015 that covered the Kingdom

Arab Weather - Returning to the archive of weather conditions, the Kingdom witnessed a fourth-degree depression from February 16 to 18, 2021, the strongest of that season. This depression, accompanied by a very cold polar air mass, brought with it harsh weather conditions that paralyzed movement in various regions of the Kingdom. In the following report, we review the most prominent events witnessed by the Kingdom during this period.

First Front: Heavy Rain and Snow on the Highlands

The depression began to affect the evening of Tuesday, February 16, as the first air front passed, leading to a sharp drop in temperatures. The north and center of the Kingdom witnessed heavy thunderstorms, while snow fell on mountain heights exceeding 900 meters.

Snow in the Jordanian capital #Amman pic.twitter.com/g1mTJVyRxt

- Fādi Al Sham (@fadi_al_sham) February 17, 2021

Main Front: Heavy Snowfall and Strong Winds

On Wednesday, February 17, the most intense main air front crossed the north of the Kingdom and later extended to the center and south. This front caused heavy snowfall in areas above 800 meters above sea level, and the snow sometimes extended to lower areas. This depression was also accompanied by strong winds exceeding 100 km/h, which led to the formation of dust waves in desert areas.

Snow in the capital Amman, February 2021 pic.twitter.com/AFSRFIBQUg

— Mohammed Yaqoub (@abulaian286) February 18, 2021

Effects of the depression: heavy rain and closed roads

The depression brought huge amounts of rain, with the amounts recorded in some northern and central areas exceeding 100 mm. In Ras Munif (Ajloun), the snow thickness reached more than 60 cm, while west of the capital Amman recorded a thickness of up to 25 cm. As a result of these severe weather conditions, a state of maximum emergency was declared across the Kingdom, and many roads were closed due to snow accumulation, which necessitated the suspension of official institutions and bodies.

The depression brought unprecedented snowfall since 2015.

This depression is considered one of the strongest atmospheric depressions that affected the Kingdom and was accompanied by a wide snow wave that is considered the strongest and most comprehensive since 2015, especially in the northern and central regions.

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