000 AXNT20 KNHC 021734 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 PM EST MON JAN 02 2012 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...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS. BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1715 UTC. ...ITCZ/MONSOON TROUGH... THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM LIBERIA NEAR 5N9W TO 2N30W TO BRAZIL NEAR 2N45W. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 1N-5N BETWEEN 19W-25W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM COCOA BEACH FLORIDA AT 28N80W TO THE SW GULF OF MEXICO AT 23N92W TO THE SOUTHERN BAY OF CAMPECHE AT 18N94W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS OVER THE SW GULF FROM 20N-23N BETWEEN 92W-97W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 45 NM OF THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS CLEAR SKIES OVER THE NORTH GULF STATES AND THE N GULF N OF 27N. A GALE IS OVER THE SW GULF S OF 23N W OF 95W WITH SEAS 10-14 FT. 20-30 KT N WINDS ARE OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF NW OF FRONT. A GOOD AMOUNT OF COLD AIR ADVECTION IS BEHIND THE FRONT. TEMPERATURES ARE PRESENTLY IN THE 40'S AND 50'S OVER THE NORTH GULF STATES...AND IN THE 70S OVER S FLORIDA AND W CUBA. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...SW FLOW PREVAILS. CONSIDERABLE UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE AND HIGH CLOUDS ARE OVER THE S GULF S OF 27N. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS ELSEWHERE. EXPECT IN 15 HOURS FOR...THE COLD FRONT TO BE OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. EXPECT IN 18 HOURS FOR THE WINDS TO BE LESS THAN GALE FORCE. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR FREEZE WARNINGS TO BE IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL FLORIDA. CARIBBEAN SEA... 15-30 KT TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND CENTRAL AMERICA WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST OF N COLOMBIA AND LIGHTEST WINDS OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS NOTED ALONG THE COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA FROM 16N-20N BETWEEN 85W-88W. ISOLATED SHOWERS DOTS THE CARIBBEAN SEA NAMELY OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN...COSTA RICA... AND NICARAGUA...AND OVER THE E CARIBBEAN E OF 70W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...SW FLOW PREVAILS. UPPER LEVEL SUBSIDENCE COVERS THE CARIBBEAN EXCEPT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR THE COLD FRONT TO EXTEND FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WITH CONVECTION. ALSO EXPECT TROPICAL MOISTURE FROM THE ATLANTIC TO ADVECT OVER THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 30N79W TO COCOA BEACH FLORIDA. BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 45 NM OF THE FRONT. A SURFACE TROUGH IS FURTHER E FROM 32N69W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AT 24N76W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 45 NM OF THE TROUGH. THE TAIL END OF A STATIONARY FRONT IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC FROM 31N57W TO 30N62W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 30 NM OF THE FRONT. A 1038 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE E ATLANTIC NEAR 36N18W. A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS SW FROM THE HIGH TO 31N40W THUS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL ATLANTIC HAS EASTERLY FLOW FROM 10N-30N BETWEEN W AFRICA AND 40W. A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ALSO OVER THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL ATLANTIC PRODUCING 20-25 KT WINDS FROM 15N-25N E OF 40W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS CENTERED OVER THE TROPICAL CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 24N24W. UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE E OF THE LOW IS PRODUCING WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION FROM 15N-25N E OF 20W. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR THE W ATLANTIC COLD FRONT TO EXTEND FROM 30N68W TO CENTRAL CUBA WITH CONVECTION E OF THE FRONT. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORMOSA