000
AXNT20 KNHC 310608
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
105 AM EST WED DEC 31 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 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH
0515 UTC.

...THE ITCZ...

ITCZ IS CENTERED ALONG 07N12W 03N24W 00N50W. NO SIGNIFICANT 
CONVECTION NOTED.

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE WESTERN ATLC THROUGH THE 
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO ALONG ROUGHLY 26N...MAINTAINING LIGHT TO 
MODERATE SOUTHERLY WINDS. A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN 
WATERS LATER THIS MORNING BUT STALLS FROM ROUGHLY THE STRAITS OF 
FLORIDA TO SOUTH TEXAS BY LATE WED NIGHT...AS UPPER SUPPORT 
LIFTS OUT THROUGH NEW ENGLAND. EXPECT MODERATE TO FRESH 
NORTHERLY WINDS N OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WEAKENS AND SHIFTS N 
OF THE AREA THU AND FRI AS SURFACE HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE 
GULF FROM THE WESTERN ATLC.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
A QUIKSCAT PASS FROM 2300Z SHOWED 20 TO 25 KT NE WINDS OFF THE 
COLOMBIAN COAST. OTHERWISE...MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES PERSIST 
OVER MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN BASIN SOUTH OF HIGH PRES CENTERED 
OVER THE BAHAMAS. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE IS PRODUCING 
SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER LEVEL WINDS AND STRONG SUBSIDENCE OVER THE 
ENTIRE AREA. MOISTURE REMAINS LIMITED IN THE MID AND UPPER 
LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...AND NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS NOTED. 
WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY BY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE HIGH PRES 
N OF THE AREA WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT 
MOVING OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST. HIGH PRES BUILDS AGAIN 
BEHIND THIS FRONT...ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE TO CURRENT LEVELS 
ON THU.

THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 32N53W TO THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS. THIS 
FRONT IS WEAKENING AS AN THE SUPPORTING UPPER TROUGH NE OF 
BERMUDA LIFTS OUT TO THE N CENTRAL ATLC. AN ASCAT PASS FROM 
AROUND 00Z SHOWED WINDS AROUND 20 KT BEHIND AND AHEAD OF THE 
FRONT. FURTHER EAST...ANOTHER FRONT IS PUSHING INTO THE CANARY 
ISLANDS 32N14N TO 27N19N...SUPPORTED BY A MID/UPPER TROUGH 
EXTENDING FROM THE AZORES TO NEAR 24N25W. A HIGH AMPLITUDE UPPER 
RIDGE IS SITUATED BETWEEN THE TWO UPPER TROUGHS...ALONG 35W. NO 
SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION IS NOTED OVER THE TROPICS S OUT OF THE 
UPPER RIDGE. SURFACE HIGH PRES EXTENDS ACROSS THE ATLC ALONG 
23N...WITH FRESH TO MODERATE TRADES NOTED ON ASCAT PASSES SOUTH 
OF THE RIDGE AXIS.

$$
CHRISTENSEN