Kyzylkum desert unusual winter snows

Source: State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Nature Protection

 

This winter the Kyzylkum desert (in summer one of the hottest places in Uzbekistan) has seen a lot of snow which is a rarely observed phenomenon.

Read the full story in http://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-35096.htm

The Kyzyl Kum (red) desert is located between the rivers Amu Darya and Syr Darya, north of the Karakum (black) desert. It mainly consists of sand dunes and is located on a vast plateau (with an average elevation of 300 m above sea level in the southeast and 53 m in the northwest). Temperatures can be very high during the summer months, from mid-May to mid-September (up +50 °C in July ) and relatively cold winters (from 0 °C to –9 °C in January). The annual precipitation is low, from 100 mm to 200 mm, most of which falls in winter and spring.

Northern Caspian Satelite Images in Winter

As the northern hemisphere winter begins and temperatures drop, ice begins to form around the northern shores of the Caspian Sea. The northern section of the sea is the part most prone to freezing, with ice starting to form around November. Dust storms activity can be seen by the plumes over the Northern Caspian Sea and Lake Sarygamysh.

  

Credit - MODIS/Aqua



Another interesting phenomenon are the cloud streets - lines of relatively low level cumulus clouds that form due to temperature inversions (cold air over warmer eater) during the winter months.

Credit: Could Streets over the Caspian Redorbit

During severe winters the whole northern part of the Caspian becomes ice bound. Interestingly the   salt lake (on the right hand side of the satellite image)  does not turn to ice due to the high salinity levels.

Credit: Northern Caspian in winter - Redorbit  

Aral Sea in Winter

Aral Sea in Winter