000
AXNT20 KNHC 231716
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
105 PM EST THU FEB 23 2012

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...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL 
ANALYSIS.

BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 1645 UTC.

...THE ITCZ/THE MONSOON TROUGH...

THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH SIERRA LEONE NEAR 7N12W TO
THE EQUATOR ALONG 18W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM THE EQUATOR ALONG 
18W TO 2S23W 1S37W 1S40W...AND INTO NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL NEAR
3S43W. SCATTERED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS TO ISOLATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ARE TO THE SOUTH OF 6N TO THE EAST OF 23W...
AND BETWEEN 37W AND 53W.

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE GULF OF MEXICO. 
THIS FLOW MOVES FROM MEXICO TO THE GULF OF MEXICO...ACROSS 
FLORIDA AND THE BAHAMAS...INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO 50W.
A SURFACE RIDGE PASSES THROUGH THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA
NEAR 21N83W...TO THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO...AND TOWARD THE
MIDDLE TEXAS GULF COAST.

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA.
A SURFACE RIDGE PASSES THROUGH THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR
25N66W...ACROSS THE BAHAMAS INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN
SEA NEAR 21N83W. THE RIDGE CONTINUES TOWARD THE CENTRAL
GULF OF MEXICO.
 
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH 32N35W TO 
26N37W AND 23N40W 19N42W. THE TROUGH SUPPORTS A COLD FRONT THAT
PASSES THROUGH 32N30W TO 26N38W. A STATIONARY FRONT CONTINUES 
FROM 26N38W TO 22N50W 22N60W AND 23N70W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 60 TO
90 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N30W
26N40W 23N50W 22N58W 22N66W 25N71W. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM 
A 1024 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 34N43W TO 30N53W 
25N66W...AND ACROSS THE BAHAMAS INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN 
SEA NEAR 21N83W. A SECOND ATLANTIC OCEAN COLD FRONT PASSES 
THROUGH BERMUDA TO 31N68W. THIS FRONT IS WHAT REMAINS OF THE 
COLD FRONT FROM 48 HOURS AGO THAT PASSED THROUGH LOUISIANA TO 
THE UPPER TEXAS GULF OF MEXICO COAST. THE GULF OF MEXICO PART OF 
THE FRONT WEAKENED AND DISAPPEARED FROM THE SURFACE MAP ANALYSIS 
AT 22/0000 UTC. A SURFACE RIDGE PASSES THROUGH 32N20W 25N30W TO 
19N44W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PART 
OF THE SPANISH SAHARA TO 15N32W.

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

$$
MT