000
AXNT20 KNHC 241057
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
805 AM EDT WED MAR 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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 
1015 UTC...

...ITCZ...

ITCZ AXIS IS CENTERED ALONG 5N6W 2N13W 3N26W 2N35W 3N46W 2N52W. 
CLUSTERS OF SCATTERED MODERATE/STRONG CONVECTION ARE FROM 7N TO 
S OF THE EQUATOR E OF 17W ACROSS THE PRIME MERIDIAN. CLUSTERS OF 
SCATTERED MODERATE/ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION ARE FROM 5N TO S 
OF THE EQUATOR BETWEEN 41W-49W. 

...DISCUSSION...

GULF OF MEXICO...
A DEEP LAYERED RIDGE COVERS THE GULF WITH THE SURFACE RIDGE 
ANCHORED BY A 1020 MB HIGH NEAR 28N86W AND THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE 
AXIS EXTENDS FROM AN UPPER HIGH IN THE E PACIFIC REGION ACROSS S 
MEXICO TO OVER THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE IS 
BEING DRAWN OVER THE NW GULF IN THE FORM OF HIGH CLOUDS. STRONG 
SUBSIDENCE AND DRY STABLE ALOFT IS GIVING MOST OF THE GULF 
GENERALLY CLEAR SKIES THIS MORNING. NEXT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED 
TO EMERGE OFF THE TEXAS GULF COAST ON THURSDAY.

CARIBBEAN SEA...
A STATIONARY FRONT ENTERS THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE WINDWARD 
PASSAGE TO OVER E JAMAICA. FRESH TO STRONG EASTERLY TRADE WINDS 
CONTINUE ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN WITH PATCHES OF BROKEN/OVERCAST 
LOW CLOUDS WITH ISOLATED AREAS OF FOG/HAZE/DRIZZLE WITHIN 125 NM 
OF LINE FROM CUBA NEAR 21N79W TO INLAND OVER CENTRAL AMERICA 
NEAR 15N89W. AN UPPER RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS FROM ACROSS NICARAGUA 
AND HONDURAS NEAR 15N84W TO THE MONA PASSAGE INTO THE CENTRAL 
ATLC. STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND DRY AIR ALOFT ARE NOTED ON WATER 
VAPOR IMAGERY ACROSS THE ENTIRE BASIN AND ARE RESULTING IN 
MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN THIS 
MORNING.  

ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE W ATLC E OF BERMUDA NEAR 32N61W 
EXTENDING SW TO 25N68W BECOMING STATIONARY AS IT CONTINUES 
ACROSS THE TURKS AND CAICOS INTO THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE 
WINDWARD PASSAGE. SCATTERED SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE 
WITHIN 120 NM EITHER SIDE OF THE COLD FRONT WITH ISOLATED 
SHOWERS POSSIBLE WITHIN 150 NM W OF THE STATIONARY FRONT. THE 
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SUPPORTING THIS FRONT COVERS THE W ATLC N OF 
24N BETWEEN 59W-80W. A SURFACE RIDGE DOMINATES THE REMAINDER OF 
THE ATLC ANCHORED BY A 1027 MB HIGH NEAR 33N42W. AN UPPER TROUGH 
REMAINS OVER THE E ATLC N OF 17N E OF 35W TO THE COAST OF W 
AFRICA WITH THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT N OF THE REGION. 
HOWEVER...DUE THE STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE...THE ATLC E OF 
55W IS EXPERIENCING FAIR WEATHER TONIGHT. 

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

$$
WALLACE