000 AXNT20 KNHC 232320 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 805 PM 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2315 UTC... ...ITCZ... ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 5N08W 2N20W 1N40W 1N50W. A SURFACE TROUGH FROM THE EQUATOR TO 7N IS ALONG 50W WITH WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION FROM 1N-6N BETWEEN 46W-52W. ELSEWHERE... WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM THE EQUATOR TO 4N BETWEEN 20W-23W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1019 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE NE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR 28N87W PRODUCING 5-10 ANTICYCLONIC SURFACE WINDS AND FAIR WEATHER OVER MOST OF THE GULF. THE W GULF W OF 96W IN CONTRAST STILL HAS 15-20 SW WINDS DUE TO A TIGHTER SURFACE GRADIENT...AND BROKEN LOW CLOUDS. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE GULF WITH AXIS ALONG 95W. A BAND OF BROKEN HIGH CLOUD AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE IS OVER THE N GULF N OF 25N W OF 85W. VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL SUBSIDENCE DOMINATES FLORIDA AND THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR...THE SURFACE HIGH TO MOVE TO THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 30N80W AND PRODUCE SW WINDS AND FAIR WEATHER FOR MOST OF THE GULF EXCEPT THE TEXAS COAST WHERE SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE. CARIBBEAN SEA... AS OF 2100 UTC...THE TAIL END OF A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM E CUBA TO NE NICARAGUA ALONG 21N75W 17N81W 13N84W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 120 NM W OF THE FRONT. OVERCAST LOW CLOUDS AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE ALSO OVER THE GULF OF HONDURAS AND BELIZE...AND OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF COSTA RICA AND PANAMA. FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS DOMINATE THE MAJORITY OF THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH STRONGEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST OF N COLOMBIA. ELSEWHERE...AN AREA OF BROKEN LOW CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE OVER THE SOUTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA W OF 70W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS PRODUCING MOSTLY NW WINDS AND STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND CENTRAL AMERICA. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR...THE FRONT TO DISSIPATE. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A COLD FRONT IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC FROM 32N65W TO 25N70W TO E CUBA NEAR 21N75W. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 25N TO BEYOND 32N BETWEEN 63W-69W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 90 NM OF THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT. A 1032 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 35N44W. A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT IS OVER THE E ATLANTIC FROM 32N20W TO 26N26W 23N34W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE WITHIN 30 NM OF THE FRONT. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS OVER THE W ATLANTIC N OF 25N BETWEEN 70W-80W. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC BETWEEN 40W-70W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS N OF 20N BETWEEN 20W-40W. ZONAL FLOW IS FROM 10N-20N E OF 50W. AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE TROPICAL E ATLANTIC NEAR 5N25W. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR...THE W ATLANTIC COLD FRONT TO EXTEND FROM 32N58W TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS WITH CONVECTION. ALSO EXPECT...THE E ATLANTIC FRONT TO DISSIPATE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORMOSA