000
AXNT20 KNHC 171748
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
205 AM EDT TUE MAR 17 2009

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...METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS...WEATHER
OBSERVATIONS...AND RADAR.

BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
1745 UTC.

...ITCZ...
AXIS ALONG 6N10W 1N25W CROSSING THE EQUATOR NEAR 30W EXTENDING 
INTO NE BRAZIL NEAR 3S39W. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED 
STRONG CONVECTION FROM 2N-4N BETWEEN 11W-18W. 

...DISCUSSION...
GULF OF MEXICO...
COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM SW FLORIDA TO 24N96W THEN STATIONARY TO 
TO 19N96W. BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW TOP CLOUDS ARE WITHIN 180 NM N OF 
THE COLD FRONT...WITH A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS. SCATTERED TO BROKEN 
CLOUDS ARE ELSEWHERE N OF THE FRONT. OTHERWISE AN UPPER LEVEL 
RIDGE COVERS THE GULF. STRONG SUBSIDENCE ACROSS THE AREA WITH
DRY STABLE AIR AT THE MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
MODERATE TO STRONG TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN WITH THE 
STRONGEST WINDS ARE ALONG THE COAST OF N COLUMBIA. PATCHES OF 
BROKEN LOW CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS DOTS THE AREA 
ESPECIALLY N OF 16N TO INCLUDE THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...PUERTO 
RICO...HISPANIOLA AND JAMAICA. IN THE UPPER LEVELS  A RIDGE IS 
OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN W OF 70W. AN UPPER LEVEL 
TROUGH IS OVER THE E CARIBBEAN E OF 70W. STRONG SUBSIDENCE 
COVERS THE ENTIRE AREA.

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
COLD FRONT IS OVER THE W ATLC ALONG 32N73W 27N80W. BROKEN TO 
OVERCAST CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE W OF THE FRONT. 
A 1021 MB HIGH IS OVER THE W ATLC NEAR 27N62W MOVING SE. A 1007 
MB LOW IS OVER THE E ATLC NEAR 29N24W. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS 
ARE WITHIN 90 NM E OF THE LOW.  UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE W 
ATLC W OF 65W. A NARROW UPPER LEVEL TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 26N45W 
TO PUERTO RICO.  ZONAL FLOW IS N OF 15N E OF 50W. A 90-110 KT 
JET STREAM IS FROM 20N45W TO 20N16W. UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC 
CIRCULATION IS CENTERED NEAR 4N25W.

$$
DGS