000
AXNT20 KNHC 051732
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
105 PM EST FRI MAR 05 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 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
1630 UTC.

...ITCZ...

THE ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED FROM S LIBERIA NEAR 5N8W ALONG 3N20W 
1N30W 2N40W TO THE NE BRAZIL COAST NEAR EQ51W. SCATTERED 
MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM 1N-3N BETWEEN 
30W-38W. ISOLATED MODERATE/STRONG CONVECTION IS FROM EQ-2N 
BETWEEN 44W-52W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
A DRY AND STABLE AIRMASS CONTINUES TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE GULF OF 
MEXICO TODAY KEEPING CONDITIONS FAIR ACROSS THE BASIN. SURFACE 
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS FROM THE N ANCHORED BY A 1024 MB HIGH OVER 
SRN LOUISIANA AND A STRONGER 1030 MB HIGH N OF THE GREAT LAKES. 
ANTI-CYCLONIC FLOW OF 10-15 KT IS AROUND THE RIDGE. NLY WINDS 
OVER FLORIDA ARE KEEPING TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS BELOW NORMAL 
VALUES. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES 
ACROSS MUCH OF THE ERN AND CENTRAL BASIN. HOWEVER...HAZY 
CONDITIONS WITH SOME REPORTS OF FOG ARE NOTED ALONG THE COAST OF 
MEXICO W OF 96W MOST LIKELY DUE TO SURFACE CONVERGENCE ALONG THE 
COASTLINE AND THE SIERRA MADRE MOUNTAINS. IN THE UPPER 
LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL TEXAS ACROSS 
MEXICO TO THE E PACIFIC...SUPPORTING THE SURFACE RIDGE ACROSS 
THE GULF. SOME E PACIFIC MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE DRAWN OVER NRN 
AND CENTRAL MEXICO AND INTO THE WRN GULF SUPPORTING SOME HIGH 
CLOUDS. EXPECT THE SURFACE RIDGE TO PERSIST AND GRADUALLY SHIFT 
EWD OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS KEEPING CONDITIONS FAIR.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
A FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN 
TODAY. A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL ATLC ACROSS 
THE MONA PASSAGE TO NEAR 16N71W DISSIPATING TO THE COLOMBIA 
COAST NEAR 10N75W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 250 NM NW OF THE 
AXIS N OF 17N AFFECTING MUCH OF HISPANIOLA INCLUDING HAITI. N TO 
NE WINDS UP TO 25 KTS ARE W OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT IS SUPPORTED 
BY A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ACROSS THE W ATLC EXTENDING INTO 
THE NW CARIBBEAN ALONG 73W. THE REMAINDER OF THE ERN HALF OF THE 
BASIN IS EXPERIENCING GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER UNDER THE INFLUENCE 
OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CENTERED N OF E SOUTH AMERICA NEAR 9N58W 
WITH AXIS EXTENDING TO THE NNE. EXPECT THE NRN PORTION OF THE 
FRONT TO REMAIN ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AND GRADUALLY SHIFT 
EWD BEFORE DISSIPATING MON AND TUE BRINGING CONTINUED SHOWER 
ACTIVITY TO THE NRN CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A DEEP LAYER TROUGH REMAINS ACROSS THE W ATLC TODAY. AT THE 
SURFACE...A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH AN OCCLUDED 978 MB LOW SE 
OF NEWFOUNDLAND ENTERS THE DISCUSSION AREA NEAR 32N44W 
CONTINUING SW TO NEAR 23N60W BECOMING STATIONARY TO THE MONA 
PASSAGE AND INTO THE CARIBBEAN. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 200 
NM NW OF THE FRONT. STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS EXTEND FARTHER W 
COVERING THE REMAINDER OF THE W ATLC ACCOMPANIED BY DRY AIR AND 
SUBSIDENCE ALOFT. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ALONG 73W SUPPORTS THE 
FRONTAL SYSTEM. FARTHER E...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING FROM 
NE SOUTH AMERICA TO NEAR 30N39W SUPPORTS A SURFACE RIDGE 
ANCHORED BY A 1020 MB HIGH NEAR 24N39W PROVIDING GENERALLY FAIR 
WEATHER ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND ERN ATLC. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH 
EXTENDING ACROSS NW AFRICA AND THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS TO NEAR 
2N35W IS ENHANCING CONVECTION ALONG THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE 
ITCZ.

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

$$
WALTON