000
AXPZ20 KNHC 231602
TWDEP 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1605 UTC FRI MAY 23 2008

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN
FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. 

BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
1545 UTC.

...TROPICAL WAVES...
TROPICAL WAVE N OF 03N ALONG 84W IS MOVING W AT 10 KT. THE WAVE 
IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO TRACK IN THE FACE OF A 
LARGE SWATH OF SURFACE WESTERLY WINDS. SCATTERED MODERATE 
ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION WAS NOTED WITHIN 60-90 NM EITHER SIDE 
OF THE WAVE AXIS AND WITHIN AN LARGER AREA OF CONVECTION FROM 
03N TO 09N BETWEEN 80W AND 102W. 
 
...ITCZ...
INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE IS ALONG THE LINE...09N84W TO 
07N95W TO 12N113W TO 08N130W TO 04N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO 
STRONG WITHIN 90 NM OF THE AXIS BETWEEN 122W AND 131W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG WITHIN 120 NM OF THE AXIS BETWEEN 106W 
AND 122W...AND FROM 03N TO 09N BETWEEN 80W AND 102W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG WITHIN 75 NM OF 12.5N90W.

...DISCUSSION...
LARGE QUASI-STATIONARY DEEP LAYER CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTERED 
OVER THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES HAS ASSOCIATED TROUGHING 
EXTENDING SWD INTO THE AREA NORTH OF 20N BETWEEN 95W AND 130W. 
ANOTHER CYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTERED NORTHWEST OF THE AREA NEAR 
34N147W EXTENDS OVER THE AREA N OF 20N WEST OF 135W.  THE ENTIRE 
AREA NORTH OF THE ITCZ WEST OF 95W IS DRY AND CLOUD FREE IN THE 
MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVELS. SCATTERED STRATOCUMULUS IS WITHIN THE 
AREA 150 NM EITHER SIDE OF A LINE 32N141W TO 23N132W TO 22N120W. 
OTHERWISE BROKEN TO OVERCAST STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS ARE OBSERVED 
NORTH OF 15N WEST OF 110W. REMAINDER OF THE AREA IS COVERED BY 
WEAK ANTICYCLONIC FLOW.

WEAK RIDGE IS NORTH OF THE ITCZ WEST OF 125W. BROAD CYCLONIC 
FLOW WITH SURFACE WESTERLY FLOW IS NORTH OF A LINE 32N125W TO 
20N120W TO 10N85W. 

STRONG HIGH PRES CENTER N OF AREA PRODUCED STRONG NLY WINDS 
ALONG CALIFORNIA COAST WITH GALE FORCE WINDS JUST N OF 32N. 
LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELL..RANGING FROM 9 TO 12 SECONDS...OBSERVED 
AS HIGH AS 19 FT ENCROACHED INTO E PAC N OF 20N. 1300 UTC HIGH 
RESOLUTION QUIKSCAT DATA INDICATED STRONG GUSTY WINDS SPILLING 
INTO GULF OF CALIFORNIA THROUGH MOUNTAIN GAPS WITH WINDS OF UP 
TO 30 KT NOTED OVER THE FAR N PORTIONS OF THE GULF.  

$$
COBB