000
AXNT20 KNHC 230458
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
205 AM EDT TUE MAR 23 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 
0345 UTC...

...ITCZ...

ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 8N11W 3N22W 1N39W CROSSING THE 
EQUATOR AND INTO SOUTH AMERICA NEAR 47W. CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED 
MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION ARE FROM THE EQUATOR TO 6N 
BETWEEN 25W-41W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
A SURFACE RIDGE COVERS THE GULF ANCHORED BY A 1020 MB HIGH IN 
THE SW GULF NEAR 22N91W. THE NE GULF STILL HAS NW 20-25 WINDS 
DUE TO A TIGHTER SURFACE GRADIENT AND BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS 
WITH SOME POSSIBLE ISOLATED SHOWERS. THE UPPER TROUGH ASSOCIATED 
WITH THE FRONT THAT PASSED OUT OF THE GULF ON MON STILL COVERS 
THE E GULF E OF 90W AS AN UPPER RIDGE ANCHORED IN THE E PACIFIC 
MOVES INTO THE W GULF. STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND DRY AIR ALOFT 
DOMINATES THE AREA...THUS THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF IS 
EXPERIENCING FAIR WEATHER TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN 
CONTROL OF THE GULF WITH THE NEXT WEAKER FRONT MOVING INTO THE 
GULF LATE THU.  

CARIBBEAN SEA...
AS OF 23/0300 UTC...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE W ATLC ACROSS 
E CUBA NEAR MANZANILLO ALONG 16N81W TO THE NICARAGUA/COSTA RICA 
BORDER WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS WITHIN 180 NM W OF THE FRONT. 
BROKEN/OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS WITH PATCHES OF FOG/HAZE/DRIZZLE ARE 
OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA S OF 19N AND IN THE CARIBBEAN WATERS 
S OF 18N TO INLAND OVER HONDURAS AND GUATEMALA W OF 84W. FRESH 
TO STRONG EASTERLY TRADE WINDS DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE 
CARIBBEAN BANKING LOW/MID CLOUDS WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS/ISOLATED 
THUNDERSTORMS INLAND AND WITHIN 90 NM ALONG THE COAST OF W 
PANAMA AND COSTA RICA AS WELL AS USHERING IN SOME LOW LEVEL FAST 
MOVING SHOWERS ACROSS THE FAR E CARIBBEAN. THE BROAD UPPER 
RIDGE AXIS REMAINS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN EXTENDING FROM PANAMA TO 
ACROSS PUERTO RICO INTO THE CENTRAL ATLC. STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND 
DRY AIR ALOFT DOMINATES THE AREA E OF THE FRONT...THUS MOSTLY 
CLEAR CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
AS OF 23/0300 UTC...A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE W ATLC NEAR 32N73W 
EXTENDING S ALONG 25N74W ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND INTO THE W 
CARIBBEAN OVER E CUBA NEAR MANZANILLO. SCATTERED SHOWERS/ 
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE WITHIN 150 NM E OF THE FRONT N OF 25N 
WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS WITHIN 180 NM W OF THE FRONT S OF 30N. THE 
UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR THIS FRONT COVERS THE AREA N OF 22N W OF 
71W WITH THE UPPER LOW OVER NORTH CAROLINA. DRY STABLE AIR ALOFT 
IS W OF THE FRONT WITH BROKEN LOW LEVEL CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE 
ISOLATED SHOWERS COVERING THE AREA N OF 28N W OF 75W. A BROAD 
SURFACE RIDGE COVERS THE REMAINDER OF THE ATLC ANCHORED BY A 
1034 MB HIGH IN THE N/CENTRAL ATLC WELL N OF THE REGION. A 
WEAKENING COLD FRONT ENTERS THE E ATLC NEAR 32N27W EXTENDING SW 
TO 24N39W DISSIPATING TO 23N44W WITH POSSIBLE ISOLATED SHOWERS 
90 NM E OF THE FRONT. THE UPPER SUPPORT OF THIS FRONT IS N OF 
23N FROM 25W-45W. 

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

$$
WALLACE