000 AXNT20 KNHC 042347 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 705 PM EST THU MAR 04 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 5N09W 3N26W TO THE NE BRAZIL COAST NEAR THE EQUATOR AND 50W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM THE EQUATOR TO 7N BETWEEN 16W-26W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... A SURFACE RIDGE INFLUENCES MUCH OF THE GULF AND FLORIDA PENINSULA ANCHORED BY A 1025 MB HIGH CENTERED ALONG THE SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST NEAR 30N92W. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES A LARGE AREA OF STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS SW OF A LINE FROM BROWNSVILLE TEXAS TO 20N91W IN THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE. FOG AND POSSIBLE DRIZZLE ARE LOCATED OVER THIS AREA...INCLUDING INLAND PORTIONS OF COASTAL MEXICO EAST OF THE SIERRA MADRE ORIENTAL MOUNTAINS. ALOFT...HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE AND CLOUDINESS CONTINUE STREAMING FROM THE E PACIFIC REGION ACROSS NORTHERN MEXICO AND INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO WITHIN ZONAL WESTERLY FLOW. THE SURFACE RIDGE IS FORECAST TO HOLD ACROSS THE GULF THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE NEXT DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE NW GULF WATERS EARLY NEXT WEEK. CARIBBEAN SEA... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS INTO THE NORTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN FROM THE CENTRAL ATLC ACROSS THE EASTERN TIP OF HISPANIOLA NEAR 18N69W AND CONTINUES SW ALONG 16N74W TO THE COAST OF PANAMA NEAR 9N79W AND WESTWARD ACROSS PORTIONS OF INLAND WESTERN PANAMA AND SOUTHERN COSTA RICA. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 90 NM SE OF THE FRONT AND WITHIN 200 NM NW OF THE FRONT. SUPPORTING THIS FRONT ALOFT IS WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WITH AXIS EXTENDING ACROSS THE SE BAHAMAS TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS. AS THIS WEAK TROUGHING MOVES EAST...MORE CONCENTRATED AREAS OF SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER HISPANIOLA AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS THIS EVENING. OTHER OBSERVATIONS ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN AND INLAND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AMERICA INDICATE LOW STRATUS CLOUDINESS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 20N W OF 80W. THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN SE OF THE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPERIENCING GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED NORTH OF FRENCH GUIANA NEAR 9N53W WITH AXIS EXTENDING W-NW TO NEAR 16N67W. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A DEEP LAYER TROUGH CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE W ATLC AS A COLD FRONT EXTENDS INTO THE DISCUSSION AREA FROM A 977 MB LOW OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST S OF NOVA SCOTIA. THE FRONT ENTERS NEAR 32N51W AND CONTINUES SW TO 20N62W THEN BECOMES STATIONARY TO THE EASTERN TIP OF HISPANIOLA NEAR 19N68W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 90 NM E OF THE FRONT S OF 27N AND WITHIN 200 NM W OF THE FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED TSTMS COVER THE AREA EAST OF THE FRONT N OF 27N TO 40W. UPPER LEVEL LONGWAVE TROUGHING ACROSS THE W ATLC SUPPORTS THE FRONTAL SYSTEM. FARTHER EAST...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS FROM THE NE CARIBBEAN TO BEYOND 32N40W AND SUPPORTS A SURFACE RIDGE ANCHORED BY A 1018 MB HIGH CENTERED NEAR 23N42W PROVIDING GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ATLC. HOWEVER...A COLD FRONT PROTRUDES INTO THE NE ATLC ALONG 32N17W TO 23N28W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE N OF 25N EAST OF THE FRONT TO THE W AFRICA COAST. THIS SYSTEM IS SUPPORTED BY AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AXIS THAT EXTENDS FROM NORTH OF THE CANARY ISLANDS TO THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ HUFFMAN