000 AXNT20 KNHC 232333 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 705 PM EST SUN DEC 23 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2315 UTC. ...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH... THE ITCZ EXITS LIBERIA NEAR 6N10W...THEN EXTENDS WESTWARD TO 5N20W TO 3N40W TO N BRAZIL NEAR 2N51W. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 1N-7N BETWEEN 34W-49W. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1023 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 29N74W. A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS W FROM THE HIGH TO E TEXAS NEAR 30N95W PRODUCING SE TO S WINDS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE TIGHTEST SURFACE GRADIENT IS OVER THE W GULF W OF 90W WHERE 15-20 KT S WINDS ARE NOTED. RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG THE COAST OF TEXAS FROM 28N-30N BETWEEN 93W-97W. MORE SHOWERS ARE OVER THE NE GULF AND N FLORIDA FROM 28N-31N BETWEEN 83W-86W. MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE GULF PRODUCING NW UPPER LEVEL FLOW. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE IS OVER THE N GULF N OF 26N...WHILE STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE S GULF. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR...A COLD FRONT TO EXTEND FROM S LOUISIANA TO CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS WITH SHOWERS. ALSO EXPECT MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF. THE CARIBBEAN SEA... AS OF 2100 UTC...THE TAIL END OF A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS OVER HISPANIOLA FROM 20N68W TO 17N75W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER HISPANIOLA. 20-25 KT NE WINDS ARE OVER THE W CARIBBEAN W OF 75W. 15-25 KT TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. SCATTERED SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN E OF 70W ESPECIALLY OVER TRINIDAD. ELSEWHERE...MORE SHOWERS ARE OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN...N COLOMBIA...PANAMA...AND COSTA RICA. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS OVER THE CARIBBEAN WITH AXIS ALONG 75W. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE IS OVER THE SE CARIBBEAN S OF A LINE FROM THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TO E PANAMA. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND CENTRAL AMERICA. EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR...CONTINUED SHOWERS TO BE OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN E OF 83W. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1023 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 29N74W. FURTHER E...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 32N55W TO 22N66W. A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT CONTINUES TO HISPANIOLA AT 20N68W. A 1025 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 37N39W. A COLD FRONT IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC FROM 32N24W TO 22N30W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 45 NM N OF 30N. IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC...WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS N GUYANA FROM 7N-12N BETWEEN 53W-60W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS... UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS ARE SUPPORTING BOTH FRONTS. EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS FOR BOTH FRONTS TO MOVE E WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORMOSA