000
AXNT20 KNHC 192335
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
705 PM EST FRI DEC 19 2008

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA...CENTRAL 
AMERICA...GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA...NORTHERN SECTIONS
OF SOUTH AMERICA...AND 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
2315 UTC.

...THE ITCZ...
ITCZ IS CENTERED ALONG 8N13W 6N35W 3N45W 2N50W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 3N-6N BETWEEN 21W-24W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM 1N-9N BETWEEN 
28W-38W.

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1023 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE NE GULF OF 
MEXICO NEAR 28N84W. 10-15 KT ANTICYCLONIC WINDS COVERS THE 
ENTIRE GULF OF MEXICO. PATCHES OF BROKEN LOW CLOUDS DOTS THE 
GULF WITH NO PRECIPITATION. THE TEXAS COAST FROM HOUSTON TO 
BROWNSVILLE HAS BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS EXTENDING 90 NM 
INLAND. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS CENTERED 
OVER TAMPICO MEXICO NEAR 22N98W. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS 
CENTERED OVER THE E GULF NEAR 25N84W. STRONG SUBSIDENCE COVERS 
THE ENTIRE GULF. EXPECT VERY LITTLE CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 24 
HOURS WITH CONTINUED MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA WITH THE 
STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST OF N COLOMBIA. HARDILY ANY 
CONVECTION IS NOTED EXCEPT E OF TRINIDAD WHERE ISOLATED  
MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 10N-12N BETWEEN 58W-60W. SCATTERED 
SHOWERS ARE OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF PUERTO RICO... 
HISPANIOLA....JAMAICA...AND CUBA DUE TO NORTHEASTERLY FLOW. 
SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE ALSO OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN ALONG THE 
COASTS OF PANAMA...COSTA RICA...AND NICARAGUA FROM 8N-15N 
BETWEEN 81W-87W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE IS OVER THE 
CENTRAL CARIBBEAN ALONG 75W. STRONG SUBSIDENCE COVERS THE ENTIRE 
SEA AND CENTRAL AMERICA. EXPECT...LITTLE CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 24 
HOURS.
 
ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A 1024 MB HIGH IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 30N72W PRODUCING 
MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER. A SURFACE TROUGH IS OVER THE CENTRAL 
ATLANTIC ALONG 57W FROM 31N-25N. ANOTHER TROUGH IS N OF THE 
LEEWARD ISLANDS FROM 24N60W TO 18N63W. ALONG BETWEEN THE TWO LOW 
CENTERS. A 1034 MB HIGH IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC W OF SPAIN AT 
44N13W. A RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS SW FROM THE HIGH TO THE CENTRAL 
ATLANTIC NEAR 28N43W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE IS OVER THE 
W ATLANTIC W OF 65W. A TROUGH IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC N OF 
20N BETWEEN 45W-65W. A RIDGE IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC NO F 20N 
BETWEEN 25W-45W. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS OVER THE THE CANARY 
ISLANDS NEAR 30N17W. ZONAL FLOW IS OVER THE TROPICS FROM 10N-20N 
BETWEEN 60W-20W.  

$$
FORMOSA