CUBA PART XIV: CLIMATE AND WEATHER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-01009A002500020004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 22
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 2, 1999
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: February 1, 1960
• Content Type: IR

bULease 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP79-01009AO02500020004-9Copy No. 31
GEOGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE REPORT
-Tn ! CR T-60i, Part XIV
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND REPORTS
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WARNING
This material contains information affecting
the National Defense of the United States
within the meaning of the espionage laws,
Title 18, USC, Sees. 793 and 794, the trans-
mission or revelation of which in any manner
to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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C?A/RR GR 6o-l,, Pam XIV
February 1960
Office of Research and Reports
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CON. TS
Sao
1. General Weather and Climatic Conditions . . . . . . . . . . 1
11~ Special Meteorological Phenomena . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
III. Weather and Paramilitary Operations
. A. Amphibious Operations
B. Ground Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
C. Air-Ground Operations
2. Mean Precipitation in Inches
Tables
15
16
3. Mean Daily, Maxim, and Minimum Temperatures (?F) . . . . 17
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Weather and Climatic Conditions
Aside from the occurrence of tropical storms and hurricanes,
Uie c1:in .te and weather of Cuba present few serious problems to
The persistent trade. winds are the 1om.Jna.'"t:
.4eather factor but, tropical storms and hurricanes generally
.most of the weather extremes. Temperatures and
hw_aJdi.ttes are relatively high the year round but are rarely
ens- t,ing because of the alleviating effect of the persistent
easterly winds, kept. for precipitation, most climatic elements
little from mnth to month. Mean Jt iy temperatures for exa le ,
se-Ldom much more than 1.0 degrees Fahrenheit weer than.
together with its location relative to the ocean are
Frady the dominant 1nf"E uen-e s . The persistent trade winds
great quantities of moisture over all of the area but the
at to 1ch the m stsure falls as rain depends iarf>:eiy on the
nl,ura y temperatures. tan cloudiness varies more from place to
and diurnally than from month to month. The sky' Is seldom
y cr. Dear or ;.c rsp:letely overcast; mean cloudiness generally
averages about two-tenths to six-tenths throughout the year
in features and the proximity to the ocean have. a pronoa .ceri.
on - he ciiiz to of uba., In fact, the elevation and exposure
and confluuration of the land over which the air 'passes
Loss Canoe :lair
~ e d on . t5
'E r ,i . a askaa~ see ."ab
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central, for example -- average less than 35 inches of precipita-
tion annually, whereas other more exposed locations average more
than 65 inches. There is, however, an crier-all gradation of rain-
fall from vest to east, the former receiving considerably larger
amounts- Variations in terrain have a similar influence on the
~;e,Serature and humidity. The warm ocean mater, on, the other
hand, has a moderating effect on the air temperatures of nearby,
low-lying coastal regions. Here the range of air temperatures to
remarkably small, with average values in the middle 70's in the
coldest month, February, and in the low 806s in July, August, and
September. Temperature ranges increase toward the interior,
especially in the mountains. (See Tables 2 and 3, p. 16 and 1-7.)
The climate of Cuba is tropical, charaeberi ed by two main
seasons -- a wet season.,which extends from. May tbi'ough Octoberg
and a dry season, which covers the period from November through
April.. ,
Ii Seei 1 l teorologcal. PPhenomer a
Tropical storms and hurricanes, though severe, do not occur
frequently and therefore are not crucial factors
The possibility of the
occurrence of storms,, however, necessitates an understanding
of their characteristics Tropical storm and hurricane activity
reaches a maxim= during the wet season, with more than one-half
of all storms occurring during Stember and October. The
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western part of the island, in particular, is affected by these
storms, which are often accompanied by torrential rainfall, gale-
force winds, and strong tides o These storms can be extremely
devastating, causing heavy loss of life and property. Mach age
to shore installations and shipping may be caused by the storm
surge or so-called tidal wave associated with hurricanes. Considerable
storm damage also results from the enormous amounts of rainfall
that sometimes fall in a short period of time; Havana, for example,
received over 20 inches of rain in 24 hours during the October 1926
hurricane. Such excessive rainfall results in the overflowing of
streams and the inundation of lowlands, conditions that adversely
affect the movement of personnel, vehicles, and supplies.
Although tropical storms affect the area throughout the wet
season, full-fledged hurricanes (storms with wind speeds, equal
to or exceeding 65 knots) are generally limited to the period from
July through October. The annual frequency of tropical storms
varies from none in some years to a maximum of 3.1 in others, with
:n average of 3 etorms per year striking the island at sc ie point.
The storm frequency Is highest in. the e :cry vest, Whe-ze 70 storms
=
.ere recorded in a 72-year period, The frequency decreases pro
s ressively to the east, reaching a minim frequency (35 storms
in a 72-year period) in the eastern half of Cuba, east of 79?W
longitude. Almost Ii5 percent of the storms observed have been
of hurricane intensity while in the vicinity of Cuba. During
the peak of the hurricane season in September, over 50 percent
3
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of all storms were of hurricane force. Tropical- storm paths:
typically bypass Cuba to the north or to the south. During
o. ctober, however, storms sometimes move from south to north across
the western end of the island.
Thunderstorm activity is also at a maximum during the wet season,
with-the greatest number of thunderstorms occurring in the western
half of the island. Cienfuegos,: on the southern coast of central
Cuba, has an annual average of 99 days with thunderstorms and a
monthly average of 20 days during the peak month of J'uiy.s
racoa,, on the eastern end of the island,, on the other hand, has
e
no record of having experienced thunderstorms
i.; Nth Coast
During the wet, season (May through. October) the weather
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is generally favorable except for
occasional periods, lasting several days, when tropical storms
are passing to the north of Cuba m Most storms move parallel to
the north coast but generally some distance offshore. These storms
are accompanied by very heavy rainfall., high swell, and gale-force
winds that affect coastal regions. Winds in excess of i knots
have been observed at some time in each month of the wet season,
and hurricane-force winds may occur.
der normal conditions, easterly winds dominate the coast and
average 5 to 10 }snots o Diurnal wind variations - exceed monthly
variations. During the early morning hours the wind tends to be
from the east,, with speeds up to 6 knots. Li the afternoon,, winds
becr more northeasterly and are strengthened by the sea- breeze
eiffecte High ids (28 knots or more) occur on 1 or 2 days per
moth, usually late in the vet season. Waves and swells are low
to gate and nor =13,y from the east to northeast. High swells,
associated with tropical storms and hurricanes, 'occur infrequently
less than 3 percent of the time
Rainfall varies considerably with locality, but the rainfall
regime is characterized by two peaks,, one in or Jura and the
other in September or October.. Rainfall in the wettest months is
usually 4 to 8 inches. July and August are relatively dry ~ The
entire wet season is characterized by heavy shovers and thunderstorms,
but tho-7 are of such short duration.
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Cloudiness is usually 30 to 80 percent, with low, broken
curw1us clouds prevalent n Ceilings are generally above 2,000 feet.
Visibility is usually good but is reduced to less than a mile during
heavy showers h Fog is rare. The mean air temperatures range from
750 to 85??, and the mean daily range of temperature is 10 to 15
degrees Fahrenheit a mean sea-surface temperatures are very near the
mean air temperatures.
During the dry season a- November through April -- conditions
However,, conditions
may be unfavorable for periods of up to 3 days during northers,
vbich are characterized by gusty northerly winds, rain and drizzle,
poor visibility, and fallingtemperatures. During November, tropical
storms present another hazard _
uenta
Easterly surface vinds dominate
the coast during the dry
season, also, and tend to be stronger and more from the northeast.
Diurnal variations also occur as in the vet season, although the
seabreeze effect is less pronoimeed3 Wind speeds average 6 to 12
and high winds (28 knots or more) may occur on 2 or 3 days
per tb., They are generally associated witty the cool polar out-
breaks. del" are low to moderate and nt l1y f ieom the east
Hipp wells are relatively i frreguent and are associated with northers
and tropical storms.
mall is slat, averaging 4 inches or less except over the
eastern portion in November, when 15 to 15 inches occur. Thunderstorms
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can be expected on 1 or 2 days a month, most frequently in Nove!mber
and April. freezing and frozen precipitation are unknown.
Cloudiness varies from about 25 percent to 60 percent, with
cnauusul.us clouds of small vertical extent predom-1nati. ' In general,,
visibility can be expected, but on rare occasions in the Decemb .r^-?
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i ebrua y period is reduced to less than 1 mile. Fog occurs on 1 or
2 days a month, but it is a negligible factor along the coast.,
b a . air tempera tures are mostly in the 70"a. The western portion
becomes somewhat cooler during northers, but temperatures are
rarely below the middle 50's. The sea-surface temperature Is I to
3 degrees warmer than an air temperature.
2. South Coast
Tropical storms and hurricanes. occur most frequently during the
August-October period and bring very heavy rainfall and high swell
T .*en they pass near the coast. Winds of hurricane fbree are
generally confined to those atoms that pass in the Immediate
vicinity of the. coast or cross the western end of Cuba near Cape
San Antonio. Heavy squalls and thundershowers are often associated
with pressure troughs in the deep easterly flow
Surface winds are somewhat variable, although easterly winds
occur some 40 to 50 percent of the time. Southerly and southwesterly
minds reach a maxi of 25 to 35 percent during the height of the
vet season. uig ?winds (28 knots or more) are relatively inf cent,
the wet season, weather is usually favorable
M except during the passage of severe storms.
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being recorded on 1 to 4 days per month. Swells are low to moderate
and normally from the east or southeast. High swells are generally
associated with tropical storms, and only occasionally with other
causes.
Considerable rainfall occurs along the south coast, particularly
in the west. Rainfall peaks occur in May and June and in September
and October with peak amounts of 6 to 12 inches per month. The
mountain ranges in Eastern Cuba cause considerable rainfall
variation in that area. Thundershowers are observed on as many
as 15 to 20 days a mouth in July, August, and September in the
central and western sections.
Cloudiness is generally 25 to 65 percent, with low, broken
cumulus clouds prevalent o Maximum cloudiness usually occurs in
the afternoon.. Visibility is generally good, being reduced
briefly to less than 1 mile during rain squalls o Fog is rare o
Salt haze is prevalent with southerly windflov 25X1C
mean air temperature is generally In the lower 81s; the diurnal,
range rarely exceeds 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
25X1 C
During the dry season, weather is generally favorable
on the south coast, except during November
tropical storms and northers. Tropical storms are infrequent,
but they cause very heavy rainfall and high swell on the coasts
Northers are often characterized by gusty northerly winds on the
southern coast and are strengthened by the land-breeze effect
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during the early morning hours. These winds can reach 28 knots
or more on the average of 2 or 3 times a month during the period
from December through February. Northeast and east surface winds
predominate on the south coast and average 6 to 10 knots. In
the sheltered areas, diurnal variations can be pronounced. Off-
shore winds prevail. in the early morning and onshore winds in the
early afternoon. Calms occur most frequently during early morning
hours, having been observed 20 to 60 percent of the ti b
Swells from the east and southeast have been observed over-60
percent of the time, occasionally interrupted by periods of southerly
and southwesterly swells. Low to moderate swells are normal,,
but high swells may occur during northers and November tropical
storm a. Rainfall amounts to 1 to 4 inches a month., with the
largest amounts falling in the transitional months of November and
April. Thundershowers are infrequent.
Cloudiness varies from 20 to 0 percent, with scattered to
broken cumulus clouds prevalent. Visibility is generally good,
and only infrequently is It reduced to less than 1 mile. Low
visibility can be expected during showers and during the passage
of fronts in advance of cool polar air. Fog is infrequent along
the coast The mean air temperature is generally in the 70's
and the daily range usually about 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperatures have been known to drop sharply during the cool
polar outbreaks but rarely below 500F;, The sea-surface. temperature
in 1 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the man air temperature.
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occurs along the higher mountain ridges. Absolute maximum temperatures
are near 10O?L ?revailing winds are from the east with average
speeds of 5 to 15 knots. High winds (28 knots or more) may occur
1 or 2 days a month, usually late in the wet season" Visibility
is good except for short periods during squalls and thunderstorms,,
when it is reduced to less than 1 rile.
-10-
SE-C-R-E-T
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duration. This type of rainfall only
slightly because the hot sunshine quickly evaporates the moisture
Day-long rains are rare, but maximum rainfalls amounting to 4
to 7 inches during a 24-hour period occur at some stations; and
an absolute maximum of 20 inches has been recorded for Havana.,
Rainfall of such magnitude undoubtedly causes extensive flooding
and inundation of low-dying regions.
Mean monthly temperatures vary only slightly, generally being
in the high 70's or low 80's. The diurnal range is from 15 to
20 degrees Fahrenheit although a slightly greater range probably
Although storms are most frequent during the wet season
(May through October), it is generally favorable 25X1C
except during the two periods of peak rainfall --
Icy-June and September-October -- which are associated with the
passage of tropical storms and hurricanes. The heaviest rainfall
occurs on the Isle of Pines, western Cuba, and the windward
slopes of mountains in Oriente Province. Most of the precipitation
falls as afternoon showers, which are often of less than one hour?s
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The dry season ,is the most favorable time of year
an monthly precipitation is generally less
than 4 in s, reaching a minimum of less than 1 inch at many
stations during January and February. The chief exception is the
northern coast of eastern Cuba, where the rainfall in November
averages 5 to 15 inches. The possibility of tropical-storm
activity decreases rapidly during November and reaches a mintmum
period from December tbrou April. Winds are predominantly
from the east, speeds average 6 to 12 knots, and high winds
(28 its or more) may be expected on 2 or 3 days per month.
high winds are corn y associated with November tropical storms
or cool polar outbreaks. man daily temperatures are generally
the lour 70's in January and Februaary, the coolest months
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The msan daily range of temperature is from 10 to 20 degrees
Fahrenheit, with the greatest range in exposed interior regions
The lowest recorded temperature, +0?F, occurred in December at
CamajuanLL Freezing temperatures could occur along the higher
mountain ridges. Low ceilings and fog are more prevalent in the
dry season than in the wet season, especially near sunrise=
Special adaptations to 'eather conditions are about the same
as for the wet season, except that warmer clothing is required
in, areas above 3,000 feet elevation.
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Adverse conditions can be expected only during the relatively
rare occasions via easterly raves, fronts, tropical storms? and
hurricanes or thunderstorms are in the vicinity. Among the
unfavorable weather conditions are leer ceilings, rastricted visibilities,,
strong winds, and turbulence.
A Ceilings below 1,000 feet are infrequent,
occurring leas than 1 percent of the time., Ceilings below about
3, 000 feet are infrequent, in the mornings over most of Cuba
but increase in late mornings and afternoons as cumulus clouds
but[ up. 1 ceilings,, however, are frequent on all windward
mountain slopes The month of maxim= occurrence of these low
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ceilings varies frca station to ,station., depending on exposure
and location.
Visibilities in the Cuban area are seldom very good or very
poor, generally ranging between 7 and 15 miles o A persistent
faint haze is present most of the time and visibilities over
15 miles are rare. Visibilities of less than 6 miles, however,
may be expected less than 10 percent of the time. Low visibilities
are most frequent at inland stations and are especially prevalent
during early morning hours in the period from December through
February, The combination of visibilities equal to or greater
than 2-1 miles and ceilings equal to or greater than 1,000 feet
occurs more than 95 percent of the time at most places
Surface winds are generally from the east throughout the year
as a result of the persistent trade winds. The strength of the
trades is highly uniform, usually averaging 5 to 15 knots,, with
the lower average speeds in April and October. Although the trades
blow much of the time, the land breeze and sea-breeze effect is
pronounced throughout the year and is at a maxirattaa'n during the
summer along the sheltered coasts o Onshore winds are prevalent
in the early morning and offshore winds in the early afternoon.
Strong winds and thunderstorms are associated with polar fronts,
easterly wares, and equatorial pressure troughs; gale-force winds
are associated with the passage of tropical storms and hurricanes
Strong winds may occur in any month, but the period of maximum
frequenc,y is August through October. Thunderstorm activity
3-=E CR-ET
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reaches a maximum during the wet periods, when 15 to 20 storms a
month occur in some regicnis o Thunderstorms are infrequent
during the dry season, generally averaging less than 3 a month
at most places
Turbulence is seldom a serious problem in the area of Cubes.
Severe turbulence is encountered only within, thunderstorms and
hurricanes,, which are infrequent during the dry season, and they
=r' usually be avoided Light to moderate
-turbulence is smetimas found where trade winds move over
mountain ridges. In the lour levels, turbulence may result from
strong surface beating, especially over cleared areas during the
water the of the year.
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Table I
LISP OF WJ ATM &-UATfONS
(ft-um. NIS 78, Cuba, Section 23, Yap 20327)
Antilla . . . . O o . . . O O .
BaJ..aeop O . a O . O O O O . . a .
Batista Airfield . . a . a . . .
b1a.yamo,,,,,. a /~,~., a a . . . a . . O a a
Cabo San Antonio . a . . . . . .
Camaguey, . . . a . a ? . a a a .
Cama juani . a . . . a . . . . . .
Cebailos a . a . . . a . . a . w
Central Conchita ~. . . . . . .
p O
O O
a O
? O
a O
e o
i'ATl- IOGI- ELEVA-
TUDE"* `.i."(3OE* TI0A
0 ?N
a 20 50
a 20 22
a 22 53
20 27
2152
21 25
22 35
21 56
22 45
22 1k
2058
2048
23 07
2003
21 35
21 19
22 01
2204.5
20 32
22 0`7
22 09
19 53
21 07
22 11
Central Constancia . a . . .. . . . .
Central Elia . . . . . . .
Central Francisco . . a . . . . . . .
Central Rerahey . . . . . . . . . a .
Central Is Cahoa a . . .
Central . a . a a a
L ax expo . . . a a a . . . a
Central Manati . . . . . . . a . . .
Central MoronO a O a a a . . a . a .
Central Preston a . . a . a . . . . .
Central Rio Canto . . . . . . . . . .
Central Soledad .... a a. a a a a a
Cienfuegos . . . . . . . a . . . a .
Ensenada de Mora . . . . . . . . . .
Gibara a . a ... a . . . a . . . .
Guane a .. o n a e . a a . a a a
Guanta.ruuuo . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Guantanamo Bay NAB a . . . . . . .
a gym n a . . O a a . . a . . . a .
erradura . a . . . . . . . . .
20 08
a 19 54
. 23 09
Holguin . . . a. . a n o a . . . a . .
Jatibonico . . . . . . a . . . . . .
Jose-Marti Airport . . . . . . . . . .
I+adxiaga . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Nueva Gerona a a. a
Nuevitas . a a .
a . a w a o a .
0n ja a u. a. a. a a e a. a a
Pinar del~yl Rio . . . . a . . . . .
Pimtn nisi . . a . . w . a . a .
San Julian Airfield a a. a a a
Santiago de Nba . . .
Santiago de las Vegas a . . . a . .
22 36
20 53
21 56
2;3 01
22 55
21 53
21 33
20 51
22 25
20 16
22 08
20 02
22 58
o eW
75 43
74 3]0~
82 3-
76 38
84 58
7752
19 48
78 45
81 32
80 33
77 27
77 35
81 56
75 08
77 29
76 57
78 k3
75 40
76 55
80 20
80 27
77 20
76 08
84 05
75 12
75 09
82 20
83 29
76 16
79 U
82 24
81 52
82 48
77 16
76 445
83 4.2
74 09
8409
75 51
82 23
feet
10
50
156
330
4.02
3255
325
149
n a
na
na
9
318
n a
na
na
n a
39
na
58
98
n. a
33
n a
na
54
161
n a
350
n a
225
na
200
10
275
180
21
X186
118
n a
u a Data not available.
* Coordinates give locations of weather stations and do not
necessarily correspond to those for populated places.
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gI
0
01 ;1
F
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OFORm.
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NOFO N