000 AXPZ20 KNHC 010307 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 0405 UTC WED FEB 01 2012 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS. BASED ON 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0300 UTC. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... MONSOON TROUGH FROM 05N77W TO 03N81W TO 06N90W TO 04.5N95W. ITCZ FROM 04.5N95W TO BEYOND TO 05N140W. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. ...DISCUSSION... HIGH PRES 1025 MB IS CENTERED NEAR 33N139W WITH RIDGE EXTENDING SE TO NEAR 26N115W. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE AND LOWER PRESSURE IN THE VICINITY OF THE ITCZ IS MAINTAINING FRESH TRADEWINDS FROM 07N TO 14N W OF 130W AND FROM 10N TO 15N BETWEEN 115W AND 130W. THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN N OF THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS MAINTAINING THIS AREA OF FRESH TRADE WINDS. A FRESH ROUND OF NW SWELL WITH 18 SECOND PERIODS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE HAS MOVED INTO THE AREA. COMBINED SEAS WILL PEAK AT 12 FT WEDNESDAY. THE SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT SE WITH COMBINED SEAS 8 TO 10 FT COVERING MUCH OF THE AREA W OF 115W BY THU AFTERNOON. GAP WINDS... FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN WATERS ARE FUNNELING THROUGH THE GAP IN TOPOGRAPHY OVER NICARAGUA INTO THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. WINDS WILL PEAK DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH THE ADDED COMPONENT OF NOCTURNALLY DRIVEN KATABATIC WINDS. THE FRESH WINDS ARE ALSO FLOWING ACROSS THE ISTHMUS INTO THE GULF OF PANAMA. WINDS NEAR 20 KT WILL REMAIN OVER THIS AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. A RELATIVELY DENSER AIR MASS REMAINS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS AIR MASS AND THE AIR MASS OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC WATERS IS MAINTAINING FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW THROUGH THE CHIVELA PASS INTO THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. $$ AL