000
AXPZ20 KNHC 201534
TWDEP 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1605 UTC SAT MAR 20 2010

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 
1500 UTC.

...ITCZ...
AXIS ALONG 05N77W TO 03N81W TO 07N94W TO 02.5N111W TO 05N124W TO 
01N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION WITHIN 
270 NM E OF 98W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WITHIN 180 NM S 
OF AXIS BETWEEN 102W TO 111W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG 
CONVECTION WITHIN 300 NM N OF AXIS AND 180 NM S OF AXIS BETWEEN 
111W AND 126W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WITHIN 180 NM S OF 
AXIS W OF 126W. 

...DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONE IS LOCATED NEAR 08N125W DUE TO 
PERSISTENT LATENT HEAT RELEASE FROM ACTIVE ITCZ CONVECTION OVER 
THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS PUSHED A 
SURFACE COLD FRONT INTO THE NW PART OF THE AREA FRI MORNING. THE 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS LIFTED OUT N OF THE AREA. AS A 
RESULT...THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT HAS STALLED ACROSS 
THE FAR NW PART OF THE AREA...AND WILL DISSIPATE BY MON. 

AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE 1020 MB IS CENTERED N OF THE AREA 
NEAR 31N128W. ACTIVE CONVECTION IN THE ITCZ W OF 111W HAS 
RESULTED IN RELATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE IN THE ITCZ. A TIGHTER 
PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS LOWER PRESSURE AND THE PREVIOUSLY 
MENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE HAS MAINTAINED A SMALL AREA OF TRADES OF 
20 KT FROM 05N TO 12N BETWEEN 122W AND 136W. 

GAP WINDS...
A COLD FRONT WILL EXIT THE TEXAS COAST TODAY AND SHIFT ACROSS 
THE GULF OF MEXICO. BEHIND THE FRONT...STRONG WINDS WILL FUNNEL 
THROUGH THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC INTO THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. 
WINDS OVER THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KT 
SUN MORNING...AND ARE EXPECTED TO REACH GALE FORCE SUN 
AFTERNOON...AND REMAIN THROUGH MON MORNING. 

WINDS FUNNELING INTO THE GULF OF PANAMA AND GULF OF PAPAGAYO 
WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT TODAY. THE COLD FRONT MENTIONED IN THE 
PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH WILL CONTINUE INTO THE WESTERN 
CARIBBEAN...AND ONCE AGAIN INCREASE THE WINDS FUNNELING INTO THE 
GULF OF PAPAGAYO MON MORNING. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT 
HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE

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AL