000
AXNT20 KNHC 302346
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
705 PM EST WED DEC 30 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
2315 UTC.

...THE ITCZ...
THE ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 6N10W 5N25W 3N40W 1N50W. 
SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG CONVECTION IS ALONG THE COAST OF 
BRAZIL FROM 2S-1N BETWEEN 46W-50W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 
120 NM OF THE ITCZ BETWEEN 20W-46W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1015 MB LOW IS CENTERED INLAND OVER LOUISIANA 
NEAR 31N92W. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS S FROM THE LOW TO TAMPICO 
MEXICO AT 22N97W. 10-15 KT NW WINDS ARE BEHIND THE FRONT. THE 
REMAINDER OF THE GULF OF MEXICO HAS 10-15 KT SE RETURN FLOW.  
IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE WITH AXIS ALONG 80W IS PRODUCING 
SW UPPER LEVEL FLOW OVER THE GULF. RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS RAIN AND 
SHOWERS ALONG THE N GULF COAST FROM LOUISIANA TO THE FLORIDA 
PANHANDLE N OF 29N. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE WITH BROKEN HIGH CLOUDS 
ARE OVER MOST OF THE GULF EXCEPT OVER TEXAS AND THE NW GULF W OF 
THE FRONT. 90-110 KT 25O MB WINDS ARE NOTED OVER THE N GULF N OF 
26N. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS...FOR THE SURFACE LOW MOVE TO S GEORGIA 
IN 24 HOURS WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING SW TO S TEXAS WITH 
SHOWERS.  

CARIBBEAN SEA...
FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
CENTRAL AMERICA. BROKEN LOW CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE 
OVER THE W CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA W OF 83W. FURTHER E... 
A BAND OF SHOWERS IS OVER THE LEEWARD ISLAND...PUERTO RICO...AND 
HISPANIOLA N OF 16N E OF 73W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER 
LEVEL HIGH IS CENTERED OVER N VENEZUELA NEAR 10N65W. STRONG 
SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE ENTIRE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA 
SUPPRESSING DEEP CONVECTION. EXPECT LITTLE CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 
24 HOURS.  

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A 1034 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER NORTH CAROLINA NEAR 36N76W 
MOVING E. RIDGING IS PRODUCING NE-E FLOW OVER THE W ATLANTIC.   
THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 
32N46W AND EXTENDS S TO NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ALONG 25N51W 
20N60W. BROKEN COLD AIR STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS ARE W OF THE FRONT 
TO 80W N OF 23N. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 120 NM E OF THE 
FRONT. A TIGHT SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS OVER THE CENTRAL 
ATLANTIC PRODUCING NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS N OF 25N W OF FRONT TO 
65W. A 1024 MB HIGH IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC NEAR 27N31W. IN THE 
UPPER LEVELS...A RIDGE IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC W OF 50W. AN UPPER 
LEVEL TROUGH IS FURTHER E OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ATLANTIC 
BETWEEN 15W-50W. EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...FOR THE FRONT 
MOVE E TO THE E ATLANTIC NEAR 35W WITH CONVECTION.  

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

$$
FORMOSA