000 AXNT20 KNHC 231147 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 705 AM EST THU DEC 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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1115 UTC. ...THE ITCZ... FROM THE SIERRA LEONE COAST NEAR 9N13W 5N20W 3N30W 3N33W 2N41W... AND THEN INDISTINCT AFTER 2N41W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE WITHIN 60 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF 3N26W 3N36W...AND WITHIN 120 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF 3N36W 2N41W 2N47W. A SURFACE TROUGH IS ALONG 14N56W 10N57W TO 6N57W AT THE GUYANA COAST. RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FROM 8N TO 9N BETWEEN 59W AND 61W FROM GUYANA TO NORTHEASTERN VENEZUELA. ...DISCUSSION... THE GULF OF MEXICO... BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC FLOW SPANS THE AREA BETWEEN 80W ALONG FLORIDA AND 110W IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN. A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 30N77W TO 29N85W TO THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. THE FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY AT THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST AND IT CONTINUES ACROSS SOUTH TEXAS...INTO NORTHERN MEXICO...AND BEYOND THE TEXAS BIG BEND AND THE FAR WEST OF TEXAS. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW MOVES AROUND A 1023 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 25N93W. ONE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE 1023 MB HIGH CENTER ACROSS CUBA TOWARD THE EASTERN END OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. A SECOND RIDGE GOES FROM THE 1023 MB HIGH CENTER TO CENTRAL HONDURAS. THE CARIBBEAN SEA... A SURFACE TROUGH GOES MONTSERRAT TO 14N66W TO THE VENEZUELA COASTAL WATERS ALONG 67W. FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR 19N49W TO 14N59W 14N64W 11N67W. THIS IS THE REMNANT OF THE SYSTEM THAT HAD THE POSSIBILITY OF BECOMING A TROPICAL CYCLONE ABOUT 48 HOURS AGO. SCATTERED MODERATE TO STRONG RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FROM 12N TO 15N BETWEEN 65W AND 68W. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE FROM 10N TO 13N BETWEEN 62W AND 65W. A SURFACE TROUGH IS ALONG 78W FROM 10N TO 16N. THE TROUGH SHOWS UP IN THE SHORTWAVE INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY...BUT IT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE AS EVIDENT IN THE SCATTEROMETER WIND DATA. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME MOISTURE FROM AN OLD FRONTAL TROUGH FROM EARLIER IN THE WEEK STILL REMAINS IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA. THE ATLANTIC OCEAN... BROAD UPPER LEVEL CYCLONIC FLOW SPANS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE WEST OF 30W. A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH 32N35W TO 27N40W TO 22N47W. A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES FROM 22N47W TO 18N58W. THE FRONT DISSIPATES FROM 23N48W TO 18N58W. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE TO THE NORTH OF 29N BETWEEN 45W AND 55W WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 18 FEET TO 30 FEET IN NORTHWESTERLY SWELL. GALE FORCE WIND CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS TO THE NORTH OF 27N WITHIN 360 NM TO THE EAST OF THE COLD FRONT THAT WILL PASS THROUGH 31N53W TO 22N77...WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 16 FEET TO 20 FEET. GALE WIND CONDITIONS ALSO WILL BE TO THE NORTH OF 28N BETWEEN THE FRONT AND 64W WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 17 FEET TO 20 FEET IN NORTHWESTERLY SWELL. ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 30 NM TO 60 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N30W 24N40W 20N46W 18N50W...AND WITHIN 90 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF 18N50W 15N55W 13N60W. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW IS WITHIN 120 NM TO 180 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF A SURFACE RIDGE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N20W...TO A 1016 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 29N23W...TO 23N29W AND 20N38W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ MT