Ahmed Jassam Al-Dulaimi (PhD)

Department of History

College for Basic Education/Haditha - University of Anbar

Anbar province occupies a third of the area of Iraq affected by low temperatures in winter. It occupies the western part of Iraq which lies under the southern part of the Northern mild area where the polar cold masses during winter reaches to the southern part of the north latitude (30)°. Tropical air masses recede, and its location is far from marine influences. Polar air masses rarely undergo modification resulting from marine influence, as for the presence of mountain ranges in eastern and northern Iraq, a self-adjustment occurs in the degree of temperature of air masses due to its landing on the slopes of those mountains, and thus temperature of polar air masses rarely drops below (-10°C). The results of the study showed that Anbar Governorate was exposed to two cold waves, the first occurred in December, and the second in January. The second wave is the longest wave that lasted for (7) days in most stations of the study area, while the first wave lasted for (5) days in most stations of the study area, due to the progress of Siberian air masses to the study area as a result of the control of the Siberian high. The second wave is deeper than the first. As the Siberian High showed its depth at the level of 850 Milibar. At the level of 500 Milibar, the groove focused on Asia and extended to Iraq in the first wave. In the second wave, the groove focused on Siberia, so the second wave was deeper than the first wave, as lower temperatures were recorded compared to the first wave.

Keywords: Cold Waves, Synoptic Climate, Anbar Governorate, Siberian High.