000 AXNT20 KNHC 220458 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 AM EST WED DEC 22 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 0415 UTC. ...THE ITCZ... FROM THE LIBERIA COAST NEAR 7N11W TO 5N30W 5N46W...INTO NORTHEASTERN FRENCH GUIANA NEAR 4N52W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FROM 4N TO 10N BETWEEN 39W AND 50W...AND TO THE SOUTH OF 10N BETWEEN 50W AND 53W INCLUDING IN THE COASTAL WATERS AND COASTAL PLAINS FROM NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL INTO EASTERN FRENCH GUIANA. RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WEAKENING AND SOME DEVELOPING...COVER THE AREA FROM THE EQUATOR TO 5N BETWEEN 16W AND 22W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE ALSO FROM 4N TO 5N BETWEEN 24W AND 30W. ...DISCUSSION... FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ALONG 64W INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO... BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC FLOW SPANS THE AREA BETWEEN 80W ALONG FLORIDA AND 110W IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 22N64W TO 27N74W... TO A 1022 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 27N83W OFF THE FLORIDA WEST COAST...TO THE LOWER TEXAS GULF COAST. IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN BETWEEN 40W AND 65W...AND INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA... BROAD CYCLONIC FLOW ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY COVERS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN BETWEEN 40W AND 80W. A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH 32N45W TO 25N50W TO 20N56W...ACROSS ANTIGUA. A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM ANTIGUA TO 15N66W AND 14N69W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 60 NM TO 90 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N41W TO 27N43W TO 20N56W. COLD-AIR STRATIFORM CLOUDS COVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE NORTH OF 20N TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT. LOW CLOUDS AND ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA FROM 14N TO 15N BETWEEN 65W AND 69W. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE TO THE NORTH OF 28N BETWEEN THE FRONT AND 68W...WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 16 FEET TO 27 FEET. THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA... A 1012 MB LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS NEAR 13N60W...ABOUT 50 NM TO THE SOUTHEAST OF SAINT VINCENT. A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM 16N54W TO 15N57W...CURVING TO THE LOW CENTER...ACROSS NORTHWESTERN TRINIDAD TO NORTHEASTERN VENEZUELA NEAR 10N62W. RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FROM 14N TO 15N BETWEEN 59W AND 61W. WARMING CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES AND WEAKENING PRECIPITATION ARE FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 61W AND 63W. UPPER LEVEL WINDS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE FOR SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR...AND CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN UNFAVORABLE FOR TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS SYSTEM WILL ENHANCE RAINFALL AND WINDS ACROSS SECTIONS OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS AND MUCH OF THE LESSER ANTILLES DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A SURFACE TROUGH IS ALONG 13N72W 16N75W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS COVER THE AREA FROM 13N TO 15N BETWEEN 71W AND 75W. THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... BROAD UPPER LEVEL CYCLONIC FLOW IS TO THE NORTH OF 20N TO THE EAST OF 20W ACROSS AFRICA. A SURFACE TROUGH IS INLAND FROM SOUTHERN MOROCCO...ACROSS THE WESTERN SAHARA...INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 22N20W. A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH 32N9W IN COASTAL MOROCCO...TO THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF THE WESTERN SAHARA... ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN CANARY ISLANDS TO 29N25W. A STATIONARY FRONT CONTINUES FROM 29N25W TO 33N35W. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA FROM THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS NEAR 15N TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY BETWEEN 22W AND 42W. THE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW MOVES AROUND A 1019 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 26N36W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MT