000
AXNT20 KNHC 021032
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION 
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
805 AM EDT THU APR 02 2009

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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
0815 UTC.

...ITCZ...
AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 4N7W CROSSING THE EQUATOR NEAR 13W INTO 
NE BRAZIL NEAR 4S37W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION FROM 1N-3N 
BETWEEN 16W-23W.

...DISCUSSION...
GULF OF MEXICO...
WARM FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE MOUTH OF 
THE MISSISSIPPI TO 27N94W. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS 
ARE ALONG AND N OF THE FRONT. A 110-120 KT JETSTREAM IS FROM 
NORTHERN MEXICO ACROSS THEN NW GULF TO SOUTHERN ALABAMA. 
MODERATE TO STRONG SUBSIDENCE WITH DRY STABLE AIR IS S OF 25N 
WITH FAIR SKIES ACROSS THIS AREA. ELSEWHERE SOUTHERLY RETURN 
FLOW OF UP TO 20 KT IS ACROSS THE SE GULF AND ERN BAY OF 
CAMPECHE.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
THE CARIBBEAN REMAINS RATHER TRANQUIL WITH FRESH EASTERLY TRADES 
OBSERVED ACROSS THE ENTIRE BASIN. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE 
NW CARIBBEAN FROM CENTRAL CUBA SW TO NICARAGUA. STRONG 
SUBSIDENCE WITH ABUNDANT DRY AIR IN THE UPPER LEVELS IS 
PREVENTING ANY SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION BEYOND PATCHY LOW CLOUDS 
AND ISOLATED LOW-LEVEL SHOWERS OVER THE LESSER ANTILLES AND 
HISPANIOLA. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE NW ATLC FROM 32N75W TO CENTRAL 
CUBA. BROKEN TO OVERCAST MULTI-LAYERED CLOUDS ARE MOVING THROUGH 
THE RIDGE N OF 27N. OVERCAST LOW TOP CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED 
SHOWERS ARE N OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH 
EXTENDS FROM 32N47W TO 20N53W. ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT 
ENTERS THE REGION NEAR 32N43W TO 24N53W. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND 
TSTMS ARE WITHIN 60 NM E OF THE FRONT N OF 28N. BROKEN TO 
OVERCAST STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS ARE W OF THE FRONT TO 60W.
SURFACE AND UPPER LEVEL RIDGE DOMINATES THE AREA E OF THE UPPER 
TOUGH AND FRONT.

$$
DGS