000 AXNT20 KNHC 242359 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 705 PM EST WED FEB 24 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2315 UTC. ...ITCZ... THE ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 8N10W 3N19W 1N34W ACROSS THE EQUATOR NEAR 45N THEN INLAND OVER SOUTH AMERICA NEAR 1S49W. CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION ARE WITHIN 90/120 NM OF THE ITCZ BETWEEN 12W-26W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... AT 24/2100 UTC...A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT ENTERS THE N GULF OVER LOUISIANA NEAR VERMILION BAY TO TEXAS NEAR GALVESTON. A SECOND STRONGER COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM A 1004 MB LOW E OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE ON THE FLORIDA PENINSULA S TO JUST W OF KEY WEST INTO THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL NEAR 22N86W. A STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS ALONG THE SE SLOPES OF THE SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS. OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED/HEAVY SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE E OF A LINE FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE NEAR PENSACOLA ALONG 23N91W TO MEXICO JUST N OF VERACRUZ. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE OVER SW GULF S OF 27N W OF THE FRONT. AN UPPER TROUGH COVERS THE GULF N OF 22N W OF 84W WITH THE UPPER LOW JUST S OF THE GREAT LAKES. A BROAD UPPER RIDGE ANCHORED OVER SOUTH AMERICA COVERS THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF ENHANCING THE CLOUD COVER AND SHOWER ACTIVITY MAINLY OVER THE E GULF. A JETSTREAM REMAINS ACROSS MOST OF THE GULF WITH WINDS OF 90 TO 170 KT EXCEPT WITHIN 60 NM ALONG THE TEXAS COAST WHERE THE UPPER WINDS ARE BELOW 90KT. CARIBBEAN SEA... AT 24/2100 UTC...WEAK SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM OVER CUBA NEAR HAVANA ALONG 21N84W TO A 1006 MB LOW NEAR 18N84W THEN INLAND OVER HONDURAS NEAR 15N85W WITH A COLD FRONT TO THE W ENTERING THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL NEAR 22N86W TO INLAND OVER BELIZE NEAR 17N88W CONTINUING TO OVER GUATEMALA. BROKEN/ OVERCAST LOW/MID CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN W OF A LINE FROM CUBA NEAR SANTA CLARA TO THE TIP OF NICARAGUA/HONDURAS. BROAD UPPER RIDGE DOMINATES THE UPPER LEVELS OF THE CARIBBEAN ANCHORED INLAND OVER SOUTH AMERICA AND DRAWING TROPICAL MOISTURE IN THE UPPER LEVELS ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN ENHANCING THE ACTIVITY THERE. DRY STABLE CONDITIONS ARE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN PROVIDING MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES AGAIN THIS EVENING. ATLANTIC OCEAN... AT 24/2100 UTC...THE 1004 MB LOW OVER THE FLORIDA PENINSULA JUST E OF LAKE OKEECHOBEE EXTENDS A WARM FRONT N ALONG 29N80W THEN E TO 29N77W WITH A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING E TO 29N70W. THIS FRONT IS BENEATH THE BROAD UPPER RIDGE THAT COVERS THE CARIBBEAN EXTENDING A RIDGE AXIS OVER THE W ATLC ACROSS HISPANIOLA TO NEAR 32N70W AND PROVIDING DIFFLUENCE ALOFT TO GENERATE OVERCAST MULTILAYERED CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED/HEAVY SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE AREA N OF 21N W OF 72W. A STRONG JETSTREAM WITH WINDS OF 90 TO 170 KT IS OVER THE W ATLC N OF 22N W OF 52W TO OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. A SURFACE TROUGH IS OVER THE W/CENTRAL ATLC EXTENDING FROM A 1005 MB LOW NEAR 32N59W S TO A 1006 MB LOW NEAR 23N59W CONTINUING SW TO OVER THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND PUERTO RICO THEN ALONG THE S COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. A WEAK BUBBLE OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS BETWEEN THIS TROUGH/LOW SYSTEM AND THE LOW/FRONT OVER FLORIDA ANCHORED BY A 1013 MB HIGH NEAR 25N68W. A BROAD BUT WEAK SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM OVER THE E ATLC INTO THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL ATLC ANCHORED BY A 1020 MB HIGH JUST NE OF THE CANARY ISLANDS NEAR 32N12W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ WALLACE