000
AXNT20 KNHC 260545
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION      
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
205 AM EDT WED MAR 26 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 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
0345 UTC.

...ITCZ...
ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 5N9W 3N20W CROSSING THE EQUATOR NEAR 
32W TO 2S44W. CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED MODERATE/STRONG CONVECTION 
IS FROM 7N TO S OF THE EQUATOR BETWEEN 4W-37W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
BROAD UPPER TROUGH COVERS THE E HALF OF THE U.S. AND THE GULF OF 
MEXICO INTO THE W ATLC ALTHOUGH THE ASSOCIATED FRONT IS IN THE 
THE W ATLC AND CARIBBEAN. SURFACE RIDGE DOMINATES THE GULF 
ANCHORED OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA BY A 1030 MB HIGH. THIS 
RIDGE IS GIVING THE W GULF RETURN FLOW BANKING LOW CLOUDS ALONG 
THE COAST OF MEXICO AND TEXAS BUT NOT PRODUCING ANY SHOWER 
ACTIVITY. STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND DRY STABLE AIR DOMINATE THE GULF 
WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES COVERING THE GULF WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 
BROKEN COLD AIR STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS OVER THE CENTRAL GULF FROM 
87W-92W. THE RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE GULF THROUGH 
SUN. 

CARIBBEAN SEA...
THE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE GULF EXTENDS INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN TO 
THE CAYMAN ISLANDS WITH THE ASSOCIATED STATIONARY FRONT 
EXTENDING THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE JUST W OF JAMAICA TO FAR 
NE HONDURAS. THIS IS GENERATING BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW/MID CLOUDS 
WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS WITHIN 120 NM OF LINE FROM E TIP OF CUBA 
TO 12N82W ALONG THE COAST OF NICARAGUA. THE REMAINDER OF THE 
CARIBBEAN IS DOMINATED BY A BROAD UPPER RIDGE ANCHORED BY AN 
UPPER HIGH OVER THE S WINDWARD ISLANDS. MODERATE/STRONG NE TO E 
TRADE WINDS DOMINATE THE ENTIRE REGION. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO 
DISSIPATE LATER TODAY. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
BROAD UPPER TROUGH THAT COVERS THE GULF AND INTO THE CARIBBEAN 
COVERS THE W ATLC WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ENTERING THE 
REGION NEAR 32N61W TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS NEAR 22N71W WHERE IT 
PULLS UP STATIONARY INTO THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE WINDWARD 
PASSAGE. BROKEN/OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED 
SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 120 NM OF LINE FROM 23N69W TO BEYOND 32N59W 
WITH BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW/MID CLOUDS AND ISOLATED SHOWERS WITHIN 
150 NM W OF THE FRONT ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT. A 
SURFACE RIDGE THAT COVERS THE GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE W ATLC W 
OF FRONT ANCHORED BY A 1030 MB OFF THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA 
NEAR 32N79W. THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN EXTENDS A 
RIDGE AXIS THE UPPER HIGH IN THE S WINDWARD TO BEYOND 32N50W. 
THE REMAINDER OF THE ATLC IS DOMINATED BY AN UPPER TROUGH THAT 
EXTENDS FROM THE E ATLC THROUGH 32N27W SSW INTO THE TROPICS TO 
13N36W WITH A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE AXIS COVERING THE FAR E ATLC 
E OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS TO INLAND OVER NW AFRICA. A BROAD 
SURFACE RIDGE COVERS THE REMAINDER OF THE ATLC E OF THE FRONT 
ANCHORED BY A PAIR OF HIGHS N OF THE REGION. 

$$
WALLACE