Extreme cold has been gradually drifting westward across Siberia in recent weeks with the thermometer dipping well into the -50s east, northeast of the Ural Mountains. Unfortunately the Middle East has been subject to a draft sweeping down from the north and this has only exasperated the vast human suffering already in place here. Northern sections of Syria and Iraq has seen heavy snow in recent days.

The core of Eurasian cold is currently sitting over western Siberia but with twin upper ridges, 1 over central Europe and the other over eastern China, this upper blocking pattern has created a channel in which frigid air can blow straight from Siberia into the Middle East.

The core of cold is clearly seen over western Siberia in the below 2m temp anomaly chart. Note the tongue of cold sweeping southward into the Middle East.

The cold has turned severe over Western Siberia in the last few nights.

We saw a -52C yesterday morning.

But an even more impressive -53.7C this morning in Nizhnesortymsk.

However, Surgut dipped to an even worse -58C this morning!

This has been the setup for much of December, hence the very cold December it’s been from W Siberia to Syria, even extending across the Med to Egypt and Libya.

GFS forecasted lows Thursday morning.

Freezing winds blow down over the Middle East Desert.

Parts of Deir Ez Zor province in northern Syria see first snowfall in 25 years

Snow covers the streets and buildings of war stricken Homs, Syria.

Suleimaniya, Iraq

FEATURED IMAGE CREDIT: Bolot Bochkarev @Yakutia

 

Tags: iraq snow, middle east snow, siberia cold, syria snow