000 AXNT20 KNHC 291753 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 PM EST FRI FEB 29 2008 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL AMERICA...THE GULF OF MEXICO...THE CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS... WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...AND RADAR. BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1715 UTC. ...THE ITCZ... 6N10W 2N20W...CROSSING THE EQUATOR NEAR 24W...TO 2S30W...THEN INLAND INTO NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL ALONG 3S/4S TO 40W AND 50W. ISOLATED MODERATE SHOWERS FROM 2S TO 7N EAST OF 31W. UPPER LEVEL SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW FROM SOUTH AMERICA CUTS ACROSS THE CLOUD TOPS OF THE SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE COASTAL PLAINS/COASTAL WATERS OF BRAZIL BETWEEN 36W AND 50W. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... A MIDDLE TO UPPER LEVEL EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTER NEAR 32N119W IS HELPING TO SPREAD CYCLONIC WIND FLOW FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...BAJA CALIFORNIA...AND PARTS OF NORTHWESTERN MEXICO. THIS SYSTEM MAY END UP INFLUENCING THE WEATHER ACROSS MEXICO INTO TEXAS DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. MOSTLY BROAD MIDDLE TO UPPER LEVEL WESTERLY WIND FLOW IS MOVING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. A WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW COVERS THE AREA. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS NOTED IN VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY. LOW CLOUDS ARE MOVING NORTHWARD WEST OF 90W. THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN...AND THE NORTHWESTERN/WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA... A WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN DEEP LAYER TROUGH SUPPORTS THE COLD FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N56W TO 29N60W 22N70W...PASSING OVER THE TURKS ISLANDS AND THE CAICOS ISLANDS...TO SOUTHEASTERN CUBA. THE FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA ALONG 76W FROM 19N TO 20N...AND CONTINUES TO 19N80W 17N83W AND HONDURAS NEAR 14N86W. LOW CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE SHOWERS ARE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA WITHIN 200 NM NORTHWEST OF THE FRONT...AND WITHIN 270 NM WEST AND NORTHWEST OF THE PART OF THE FRONT THAT IS IN HONDURAS. CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 150 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THROUGH 32N56W 27N65W 21N77W AT THE CUBA COAST. THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA... BROAD MIDDLE TO UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA. EASTERLY SURFACE WIND FLOW IS PUSHING LOW CLOUDS FROM EAST TO WEST EAST OF 76W. THE FLOW BECOMES CYCLONIC SOUTH OF 15N WEST OF 75W. SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE PATCHES OF CLOUDS EAST OF 74W...MOSTLY SOUTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES. THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... A MIDDLE TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS ON TOP OF A SURFACE RIDGE IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN EAST OF 60W. THE TROUGH RUNS FROM THE AREA BETWEEN THE CANARY ISLANDS AND THE MADEIRA ISLANDS TO 27N31W TO 12N50W TO 8N59W. CLUSTERS OF CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE SHOWERS FROM 22N TO 34N BETWEEN 25W AND 38W. $$ MT