000 AXNT20 KNHC 281134 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 805 AM EDT THU MAR 28 2013 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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1015 UTC. ...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH COASTAL GUINEA NEAR 10N14W TO 5N18W 2N24W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 2N24W TO 1N30W AND 1N36W. CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION...NUMEROUS STRONG TO THE SOUTH OF 4N TO THE EAST OF 6W. ISOLATED MODERATE TO THE SOUTH OF 8N TO THE EAST OF 51W. WARMING CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES AND WEAKENING PRECIPITATION TO THE SOUTH OF 2N BETWEEN 8W AND 12W. ...DISCUSSION... FROM THE WESTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN INTO THE CARIBBEAN SEA... A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTER AND THE ACCOMPANYING TROUGH ARE WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA. THESE FEATURES SUPPORT THE COLD FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N42W TO 30N48W...TO 23N60W...INTO SOUTHERN HAITI. A SHEAR AXIS FOR WIND SPEED CONTINUES FROM SOUTHERN HAITI TO 16N78W 15N80W AND 12N82W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE RAINSHOWERS ARE TO THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N30W AND 26N50W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...INTO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE...TO 16N73W IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA...13N80W AND 9N80W. THE GULF OF MEXICO... A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH 32N77W IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO LAKE OKEECHOBEE IN FLORIDA...TO 21N84W JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE WESTERN TIP OF CUBA. A SEPARATE AREA OF UPPER LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW IS MOVING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN...ACROSS SOUTHERN MEXICO...INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO THAT IS TO THE WEST OF 90W...AND TOWARD THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. COMPARATIVELY DRIER AIR IN SUBSIDENCE COVERS THE AREA THAT IS TO THE EAST OF 93W. HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE IS TO THE WEST OF 93W. A SURFACE RIDGE PASSES THROUGH A NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO 1027 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 30N88W...TOWARD THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE AREA...INTO THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC OF SOUTHERN MEXICO. PLEASE READ THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN HIGH SEAS FORECAST... MIAHSFEP2...AND THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION...MIATWDEP... FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE GALE-FORCE WIND WARNING FOR THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...ON THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN SIDE OF SOUTHERN MEXICO. FOR THE OFFSHORE OIL PLATFORMS THAT ARE TO THE NORTH OF 27N TO THE WEST OF 88W... ICAO STATION KGVX...ALONG THE TEXAS GULF COAST... IS REPORTING A CLOUD CEILING AT 7000 FEET. ICAO STATION KGBK IS OBSERVING SCATTERED TO BROKEN LOW CLOUDS OFF THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST. ICAO STATION KVBS IS REPORTING AN OVERCAST SKY WITH THE CLOUD BASE AT 6500 FEET. ICAO STATION KECH IS REPORTING SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2900 FEET. FAIR SKIES/CLEAR SKIES COVER THE REST OF THE PLATFORM SITES. NO STATION IS REPORTING SUSTAINED 20 KNOT WINDS. CLOUD CEILINGS WHOSE BASES ARE RANGING FROM 1500 FEET TO 7000 FEET ARE OBSERVED FROM THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF TEXAS TO THE HOUSTON METROPOLITAN AREA...AND INTO SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA. THE VISIBILITY IN BROOKSVILLE IS BEING REPORTED AT 1.25 MILES WITH FOG. FAIR SKIES/CLEAR SKIES COVER THE REST OF THE GULF COAST PLAINS ELSEWHERE TO THE EAST OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA...TO FLORIDA. CLOUD CEILINGS WHOSE BASES ARE RANGING FROM 2000 FEET TO 7000 FEET ARE OBSERVED FROM TEXAS SOUTHWARD INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. LIGHT DRIZZLE IS BEING REPORTED IN VERACRUZ AND TAMPICO IN MEXICO. THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA... A MIDDLE LEVEL TROUGH RUNS ALONG THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ISLANDS...FROM THE NORTHEASTERNMOST ISLANDS NEAR THE ANEGADA PASSAGE...TOWARD SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS...TOWARD SAINT LUCIA...TO 12N62W NEAR GRENADA. FEW LOW CLOUDS/SCATTERED LOW CLOUDS ARE OBSERVED IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA ISLANDS. RAINSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE FROM 13N TO 16N BETWEEN 61W AND 66W TO THE WEST OF THE ISLANDS. BROAD MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE CARIBBEAN SEA. A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGE ORIGINATES IN NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA NEAR 9N70W TO 14N78W...TO 19N84W IN THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE AREA. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A 1019 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 24N31W TO 17N51W... TO 15N70W IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA...AND 14N77W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH SEAS FORECAST... MIAHSFAT2...AND THE OFFSHORE FORECAST... MIAOFFNT3...FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE COLD FRONT 20N74W 13N82W. EXPECT 20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND 9 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS TO THE SOUTH OF 18N TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT TO 84W. EXPECT ALSO 20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND 9 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS FROM 10N TO 14N BETWEEN 72W AND 79W. THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS ALONG 13N54W...19N48W TO 24N39W BEYOND 32N26W. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM 25N64W TO 26N71W...TO 27N80W ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM 32N12W...ACROSS THE CANARY ISLANDS...TO A 1019 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 24N31W TO 17N51W...TO 15N70W IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA...AND 14N77W. PLEASE READ THE HIGH SEAS FORECAST...MIAHSFAT2... FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE COLD FRONT 31N46W 20N69W. EXPECT 20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND 11 TO 19 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS TO THE NORTH OF 26N TO THE EAST OF THE FRONT TO 40W. EXPECT 20 TO 25 KNOT WINDS AND 12 TO 15 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS TO THE NORTH OF 28N TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT TO 55W. EXPECT 20 KNOT WINDS OR LESS AND 9 TO 13 FOOT SEA HEIGHTS ELSEWHERE TO THE NORTH OF 24N TO THE EAST OF 71W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MT