000 AXNT20 KNHC 020557 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 AM EST THU FEB 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 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0515 UTC. ...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH COASTAL GUINEA NEAR 10N14W TO 9N17W AND 6N19W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 6N19W 2N26W 2N36W 2N42W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG RAINSHOWERS ARE FROM 10N TO 13N BETWEEN 26W AND 32W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE ELSEWHERE TO THE SOUTH OF 10N TO THE EAST OF 60W. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... UPPER LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A 1026 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 32N70W...TO 30N78W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR 28N91W...INTO THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS. RAINSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE BETWEEN 86W AND 94W. THE CARIBBEAN SEA... BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW SPANS THE AREA. GALE-FORCE WINDS ARE OBSERVED AND FORECAST FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 77W IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF COLOMBIA. SEA HEIGHTS RANGE FROM 10 TO 15 FT. THESE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH 32N39W TO 31N42W. A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT CONTINUES FROM 31N42W TO 30N48W. A DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT CONTINUES FROM 30N48W TO 30N56W 29N60W AND 29N67W. RAINSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM 28N TO 32N BETWEEN 50W AND 68W... AND TO THE NORTH OF 30N BETWEEN 35W AND 50W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH CENTRAL MOROCCO TO 19N25W TO 13N41W AND 7N48W. NO SIGNIFICANT DEEP CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION IS APPARENT SOLELY BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MT