000 AXNT20 KNHC 281715 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 PM EST SUN DEC 28 2014 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 1645 UTC. ...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH CROSSES THE AFRICAN COAST NEAR 6N11W AND EXTENDS TO 6N21W WHERE THE ITCZ BEGINS AND CONTINUES TO 4N37W TO THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA AT 3N51W. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS SW FROM A LOW IN SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI ACROSS THE NW GULF OF MEXICO TO CENTRAL MEXICO NEAR 23N98W. FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS ARE N OF THE FRONT. THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF HAS GENTLE TO MODERATE SOUTHERLY WINDS. RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS SCATTERED SHOWERS WITHIN 240 NM NW OF FRONT EXTENDING INLAND. AT UPPER LEVELS...A LARGE RIDGE AXIS ALONG 75W IS PRODUCING SW FLOW OVER THE GULF. UPPER MOISTURE FROM THE TROPICAL EAST PACIFIC IS STREAMING OVER CENTRAL MEXICO INTO THE NORTHERN GULF. EXPECT THE FRONT TO EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO BAY OF CAMPECHE MON WITH WIDESPREAD LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS ALONG THE FRONT. CARIBBEAN SEA... MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN WITH STRONGEST WINDS JUST N OF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS AND HONDURAS. ELSEWHERE... THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT IS PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...PUERTO RICO...AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A LARGE RIDGE AXIS ALONG 75W IS PRODUCING STRONG SUBSIDENCE. EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS TO MOVE OVER THE WINDWARD ISLANDS MON...AND INTO BELIZE. HISPANIOLA... MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND SCATTERED TRADE WIND SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE ISLAND. EXPECT THE REMNANTS OF THE FRONT TO PASS OVER THE ISLAND TONIGHT. RIDGING WITH STRONG SUBSIDENCE ALOFT WILL SUPPRESS DEEP CONVECTION. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A 1026 MB HIGH IN THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 32N66W ANCHORS A BROAD RIDGE AND DOMINATES THE REGION N OF 18N WITH FAIR WEATHER. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS SW FROM A 1007 MB LOW NEAR 31N37W TO 24N41W TO 19N55W THEN DISSIPATING TO PUERTO RICO. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 60 NM OF THE FRONT. A 1031 MB HIGH W OF PORTUGAL NEAR 38N16W EXTENDS A RIDGE S OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. AN UPPER LOW IS CENTERED NEAR 30N38W WITH DIFFLUENCE E OF THE CENTER ENHANCING CONVECTION N OF 27N. EXPECT THE LOW TO MOVE N OF THE AREA MON WHILE DRAGGING THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED SHOWERS INTO THE EASTERN ATLANTIC. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MUNDELL