000 AXPZ20 KNHC 142145 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 2205 UTC TUE DEC 14 2010 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2100 UTC. ...ITCZ... INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AXIS ISFROM 06N78W TO A LOW PRES NEAR 06N100W TO A LOW PRES NEAR 08N121W TO 07N128W TO 08N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WITHIN 60 NM OF AXIS W OF 134W. ...DISCUSSION... WEAK RIDGE N OF 15N AND W OF 115W. TWO WEAK AREAS OF LOW PRES ARE ANALYZED ALONG THE ITCZ NEAR 06N100W AND 08N121W WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. A SMALL AREA OF FRESH TRADE WINDS IS ON THE S PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE W OF 135W BETWEEN THE ITCZ AND 15N. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN THROUGH WED AS A LOW PRES SYSTEM NEARS THE NW CORNER OF THE AREA BY THU. NW SWELL WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE NW CORNER OF THE DISCUSSION AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT LOW...BUT SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN 8 FT OR LESS. SW WINDS AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL INCREASE TO 20 KT THU IN FAR NW PORTION OF THE AREA. WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS MOST OF THE EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC FORECAST WATERS WILL BE RELATIVELY TRANQUIL THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LOCATIONS PRONE TO GAP WINDS. SHORT PERIOD NE SWELL GENERATED FROM TEHUANTEPEC AND PAPAGAYO WILL MERGE WED AND SPREAD SW IN AN AREA FROM 05N TO 13N BETWEEN 89W AND 105W WITH SEAS TO 9 FT. GAP WINDS DIMINISH LATE WED AND THU AND SEAS QUICKLY SUBSIDE. GAP WINDS... SURFACE OBS INDICATE WINDS IN THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC ARE BELOW GALE FORCE. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT BY WED AFTERNOON. FRESH NE WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE GULF OF FONSECA THROUGH WED MORNING WHILE FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO EXPAND DOWNWIND OF THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO THROUGH WED THEN DIMINISH THU. SCATTEROMETER DATA AND SHIP OBS INDICATE N WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT ARE FUNNELING INTO THE GULF OF PANAMA. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN JUST BELOW GALE FORCE THROUGH WED MORNING THEN DIMINISH TO 20 KT THU. $$ MUNDELL