000
AXNT20 KNHC 200555
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
105 AM EST WED JAN 20 2010

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 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 0515 UTC.

...THE ITCZ...
FROM THE SIERRA LEONE/LIBERIA BORDER NEAR 7N11W TO 6N22W 3N30W
TO 1N40W...CROSSING THE EQUATOR ALONG 43W...INTO NORTHEASTERN
BRAZIL NEAR 2S47W. ISOLATED MODERATE SHOWERS ARE TO THE SOUTH
OF 5N TO THE EAST OF 45W.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL WESTERLY WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA.
SOME UPPER LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW CUTS ACROSS THE
STRAITS OF FLORIDA FROM THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA
INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE COVERS THE
AREA AROUND A 1019 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR
26N83W. A RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE HIGH CENTER TO 26N94W.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
BROAD UPPER LEVEL SOUTHWESTERLY WIND FLOW COVERS THE 
NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE AREA...FROM THE GULF OF HONDURAS
ACROSS CUBA AND THE BAHAMAS INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
A MIDDLE LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 30N46W
TO 20N60W...ACROSS THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA INTO THE NORTH 
CENTRAL WATERS. THE SOUTHERN END OF A COLD FRONT REACHES THE 
INTERIOR OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ALONG 70W. A SURFACE TROUGH
CONTINUES FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
TO 15N78W TO COASTAL PANAMA ALONG 79W. A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS
FROM 19N61W...ACROSS ANGUILLA AND ST.MARTIN TO 16N66W. SHOWERS 
ARE POSSIBLE TO THE NORTH/NORTHWEST OF THE TROUGH WITHIN 30 NM
ON EITHER SIDE OF 20N62W...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...TO 17N66W.
A SURFACE TROUGH IS IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ALONG 58W/59W FROM
14N TO 18N...AT THE END OF A REMNANT CLOUD LINE. SHOWERS ARE 
POSSIBLE FROM 15N TO 19N BETWEEN 57W AND 61W. THIS PRECIPITATION 
MAY REACH THE CARIBBEAN SEA IF ANY OF THIS REMAINS INTACT
IN THE FUTURE. GALE-FORCE WINDS ARE ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA 
FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 77W...INCLUDING SEA HEIGHTS FROM
8 FT TO 13 FT.

THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A MIDDLE LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 30N46W 
TO 20N60W...INTO THE NORTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN SEA. THE BROAD UPPER 
LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC FLOW COVERS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE NORTH
OF 20N TO THE WEST OF 38W. THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT OF UPPER LEVEL
CYCLONIC FLOW IS NEAR 32N38W. A DEEP LAYER TROUGH...RELATED TO
THE CYCLONIC FLOW THAT IS NEAR 32N38W...SUPPORTS A COLD FRONT
THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N48W TO 26N60W TO THE INTERIOR OF THE 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ALONG 70W. A SECONDARY SURGE OF COLD AIR IS
MARKED BY A COLD FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 31N55W TO 29N61W
AND 29N67W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS ALONG 17N27W 7N39W.

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

$$
MT