000
AXNT20 KNHC 180525
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
105 AM EST THU FEB 18 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...
THE ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 7N8W EQ24W 3N43W TO INLAND OVER 
SOUTH AMERICA NEAR 2N50W. CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED MODERATE/ 
ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION ARE WITHIN 125 NM N OF THE ITCZ FROM 
14W-30W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
BROKEN COLD AIR STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS REMAINS OVER THE E GULF TO 
THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. NEAR ZONAL WESTERLY UPPER 
FLOW DOMINATES THE ENTIRE GULF DRAWING MID/UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE 
ACROSS MEXICO TO OVER THE S GULF. THIS IS GENERATING OVERCAST 
MULTILAYERED CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 24N W OF 90W AND 
A STRONG JETSTREAM WITH WINDS OF 90 TO 170 KT ACROSS THE GULF 
WATERS N OF 21N. AT THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS IN CONTROL 
ANCHORED BY A 1024 MB HIGH ALONG THE COAST OF TEXAS NEAR 
GALVESTON.  

CARIBBEAN SEA...
A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT ENTERS THE W CARIBBEAN FROM THE 
W/CENTRAL ATLC OVER NW HAITI JUST E OF JAMAICA TO THE SW 
CARIBBEAN NEAR 12N81W. BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW/MID CLOUDS WITH 
SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 120 NM W OF THE FRONT AND WITHIN 
150 NM E OF THE FRONT N OF 17N. BROKEN/OVERCAST MULTILAYERED 
CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS COVER THE REMAINDER OF THE W 
CARIBBEAN TO OVER CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. THE 
UPPER LEVELS OF THE CARIBBEAN INTO THE W TROPICAL ATLC CONTINUE 
TO BE DOMINATED BY A BROAD UPPER RIDGE ANCHORED OVER SOUTH 
AMERICA BRINGING DRY STABLE AIR TO THE REMAINDER OF THE 
CARIBBEAN RESULTING CLEAR SKIES AGAIN TONIGHT OVER THE E 
CARIBBEAN.  

ATLANTIC OCEAN.
A NEWLY DEVELOPED COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING THE W ATLC NEAR 
31N76W. A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE CENTRAL ATLC THROUGH 32N48W 
EXTENDING SSW ALONG 26N53W TO 24N59W WHERE IT BECOMES STATIONARY 
INTO THE W CARIBBEAN OVER NW HAITI. BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW/MID 
CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 120 NM W OF THE 
STATIONARY FRONT. THE BROAD UPPER RIDGE THAT DOMINATES THE 
CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC IS PROVIDING DIFFLUENCE ALOFT TO 
GENERATE BROKEN/OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED 
SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN 200 NM OF 
LINE FROM 31N31W ACROSS THE COLD FRONT ALONG 29N51W TO 26N66W.  
WEAK HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATES THE REMAINDER OF THE E ATLC 
ANCHORED BY A 1019 MB HIGH NEAR 24N38W.  

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

$$
WALLACE