000 AXNT20 KNHC 221805 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 PM EST WED FEB 22 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 1700 UTC. ...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH LIBERIA NEAR 7N11W TO 2N17W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 2N17W...CROSSING THE EQUATOR ALONG 21W...TO 1S30W AND INTO NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL NEAR 3S44W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS TO LOCALLY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE TO THE SOUTH OF 6N TO THE EAST OF 46W...AND TO THE SOUTH OF 7N BETWEEN 46W AND 54W. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS FLOW MOVES FROM MEXICO TO THE GULF OF MEXICO...ACROSS FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS...INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 60W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN A 30 NM RADIUS OF 29N87W. THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS COMPARATIVELY WEAK IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE CARIBBEAN SEA... BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH 32N43W TO 25N48W AND 18N57W. THE TROUGH SUPPORTS A COLD FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N38W TO 26N44W 21N54W. A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT CONTINUES FROM 21N54W TO 20N62W AND 22N70W. A DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT CONTINUES FROM 22N77W...ACROSS CUBA TO THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA. GALE-FORCE WINDS ARE TO THE NORTH OF 30N WITHIN 180 TO 240 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT. RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 30 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N47W TO 30N49W TO 28N52W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND OTHER POSSIBLE RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 30 TO 60 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N48W 28N54W 24N63W 23N70W 21N75W. BROAD SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW IS TO THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST OF THE COLD FRONT. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A 1033 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 36N20W TO 33N26W 30N33W 27N38W 22N49W TO 21N54W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES ACROSS THE WESTERN SAHARA OF AFRICA TO 22N32W TO 17N46W TO 12N55W INTO WESTERN VENEZUELA. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MT