000
AXNT20 KNHC 262338
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
705 PM EST SUN DEC 26 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.

...THE ITCZ...

FROM THE COAST OF GUINEA NEAR 10N14W TO 5N20W TO 3N30W 3N42W...
INTO EXTREME NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL NEAR 2N51W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND ISOLATED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS TO LOCALLY 
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE WITHIN 120 NM TO 180 NM ON EITHER SIDE 
OF 7N11W 4N20W 2N30W 3N40W 7N56W.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...

CYCLONIC FLOW FROM A DEEP LAYER U.S.A. EAST COAST TROUGH COVERS 
THE AREA. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE AND NORTHERLY FLOW ARE 
EVERYWHERE. THE WIND SPEEDS RANGE FROM 20 KT TO 30 KT...AND
THE SEA HEIGHTS RANGE FROM 10 FEET TO 16 FEET IN THE EASTERN 
PART...TO 8 FEET TO 12 FEET IN THE WESTERN PART. THE COLD FRONT
ALREADY HAS EXITED THE AREA.

FROM THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE WEST OF 67W INTO THE
CARIBBEAN SEA TO THE WEST OF JAMAICA...

THE DEEP LAYER TROUGH THAT IS ALONG THE U.S.A. EAST COAST
SUPPORTS THE COLD FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N73W IN THE 
ATLANTIC OCEAN...PASSING OVER ELEUTHERA ISLAND IN THE BAHAMAS...
TO CUBA BETWEEN 78W AND 79W...TO THE BORDER OF EASTERN HONDURAS/
NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA...AND THEN CURVING WESTWARD TOWARD 
WESTERN HONDURAS. GALE FORCE WIND CONDITIONS ARE TO THE NORTH
OF 26N TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM
10 FEET TO 20 FEET...AND TO THE NORTH OF 26N BETWEEN 68W AND
THE FRONT WITH SEA HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 9 FEET TO 18 FEET.
RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 15 NM TO 30 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE
LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N70W TO 27N73W. COLD-AIR STRATIFORM
CLOUDS ARE TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT.

THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
NUMEROUS STRONG RAINSHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING
FROM 9N TO 13N BETWEEN 76W AND 79W...NEAR A SURFACE TROUGH THAT 
IS ALONG 79W FROM 7N TO 13N. STRONG RAINSHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS ALSO ARE ALONG THE COLOMBIA COAST FROM 11N TO 12N 
BETWEEN 73W AND 74W BETWEEN RIOHACHA AND SANTA MARTA. CYCLONIC
FLOW FROM A BROAD SURFACE-TO-LOW LEVEL TROUGH COVERS THE AREA 
THAT IS TO THE SOUTH OF 16N BETWEEN 66W AND 75W. ISOLATED 
MODERATE RAINSHOWERS TO LOCALLY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE FROM 
13N TO 16N BETWEEN 68W AND 75W.  

THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...

AN EASTERN ATLANTIC OCEAN DEEP LAYER TROUGH SUPPORTS A COLD 
FRONT THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N26W TO 27N33W TO 23N40W. THE
TROUGH PASSES THROUGH 32N29W TO 24N34W TO 16N38W. RAINSHOWERS 
ARE WITHIN 15 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 
32N24W 28N30W 25N36W. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE 
AREA TO THE NORTH OF 20N BETWEEN THE 32N26W 23N40W COLD FRONT 
AND 63W. THE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW MOVES AROUND A 1020 MB HIGH 
PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 28N53W. SURFACE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW 
COVERS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE NORTH OF 20N BETWEEN AFRICA AND 
THE 32N26W 23N40W COLD FRONT...MOVING AROUND A SECOND 1020 MB 
HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 28N21W.  

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

$$
MT