000
AXNT20 KNHC 241800
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
105 PM EST FRI FEB 24 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 1715 UTC.

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

THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH NORTHWESTERN SIERRA LEONE
NEAR 8N13NW TO 2N18W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 2N18W...CROSSING
THE EQUATOR ALONG 23W...TO 1S30W 1S35W...INTO NORTHEASTERN 
BRAZIL. SCATTERED MODERATE RAINSHOWERS TO ISOLATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ARE TO THE SOUTH OF 4N BETWEEN 20W AND 4W.

...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. A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
THAT IS MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL U.S.A. SUPPORTS A COLD FRONT
THAT PASSES THROUGH SOUTHERN LOUISIANA...INTO THE TEXAS GULF 
COASTAL WATERS...TO THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY OF SOUTH TEXAS.
THE COLD FRONT CONTINUES NORTHWESTWARD BEYOND NORTHWESTERN 
MEXICO INTO SOUTHEASTERN ARIZONA. BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE PRECIPITATION ARE TO THE 
NORTHWEST OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH SOUTHWESTERN ALABAMA 
TO NORTHEASTERN COASTAL MEXICO.
 
THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
BROAD UPPER LEVEL ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW COVERS THE AREA.
A SURFACE RIDGE PASSES THROUGH THE ATLANTIC OCEAN NEAR
26N68W...ACROSS THE BAHAMAS INTO THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA 
TO WESTERN CUBA. THE RIDGE CONTINUES TOWARD THE CENTRAL GULF OF 
MEXICO.
 
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...
A MIDDLE LEVEL TO UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH 32N30W TO 
24N35W. THE TROUGH SUPPORTS A STATIONARY FRONT THAT PASSES 
THROUGH 32N28W TO 27N33W 23N45W 23N60W. BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
MULTILAYERED CLOUDS AND POSSIBLE RAINSHOWERS ARE WITHIN 60 TO
120 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LINE THAT PASSES THROUGH 32N28W 
27N32W 23N43W 24N58W. A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A 1034 MB
HIGH PRESSURE CENTER THAT IS NEAR 37N36W...THROUGH 32N34W TO 
29N56W AND 26N68W...EVENTUALLY REACHING WESTERN CUBA.
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PASSES THROUGH THE BORDER AREA OF THE 
SPANISH SAHARA AND MOROCCO TO 15N26W TO 12N48W.

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

$$
MT