000
AXNT20 KNHC 242314
TWDAT 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
705 PM EST MON DEC 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY
THROUGH 2315 UTC.

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

THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH COASTAL GUINEA-BISSAU NEAR 
11N15W TO 9N17W. THE ITCZ CONTINUES FROM 9N17W TO 6N20W TO 2N30W 
TO NE BRAZIL AT 1N50W. WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS 
FROM EQ-6N BETWEEN 48W-53W. 

...DISCUSSION...

THE GULF OF MEXICO...
AS OF 2100 UTC...A COLD FRONT IS JUST INLAND FROM S LOUISIANA TO 
SE TEXAS. ELSEWHERE...A 1023 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W 
ATLANTIC NEAR 33N60W. A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS W FROM THE 
HIGH TO THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. 10-15 KT SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE 
NOTED OVER MOST OF THE GULF. RADAR IMAGERY SHOWS SCATTERED 
SHOWERS ALONG THE COAST OF THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE N OF 28N E OF 
88W. MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER IS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF. IN 
THE UPPER LEVELS...MOSTLY ZONAL FLOW IS OVER THE GULF. UPPER 
LEVEL MOISTURE IS OVER THE N GULF N OF 23N...WHILE STRONG 
SUBSIDENCE IS OVER THE S GULF. EXPECT IN 24 HOURS FOR...A COLD 
FRONT TO EXTEND FROM S LOUISIANA TO TAMPICO MEXICO WITH SHOWERS 
AND 30 KT NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. ALSO EXPECT MORE SHOWERS 
OVER THE NE GULF WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. 

THE CARIBBEAN SEA...
AS OF 2100 UTC...THE TAIL END OF A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT 
EXTENDS OVER HISPANIOLA FROM 20N69W TO 18N74W. SCATTERED SHOWERS 
ARE OVER HISPANIOLA. 10-20 KT TRADEWINDS ARE OVER THE CARIBBEAN. 
SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN E OF 70W ESPECIALLY 
OVER BARBADOS. MORE SHOWERS ARE OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN...N 
COLOMBIA...PANAMA...COSTA RICA...AND NICARAGUA. IN THE UPPER 
LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE GULF OF 
TEHUANTEPEC NEAR 16N95W. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS OVER THE E 
GULF WITH AXIS OVER 75W. STRONG SUBSIDENCE IS OVER MOST OF THE 
CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA W OF 70W. UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE IS 
OVER THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS 
FOR...CONTINUED SHOWERS TO BE OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN 
CARIBBEAN E OF 84W. 

THE ATLANTIC OCEAN...
AS OF 2100 UTC...A 1023 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W ATLANTIC 
NEAR 33N60W. FURTHER E...A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 
32N52W TO HISPANIOLA AT 20N69W. A 1025 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER 
THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC NEAR 35N34W. A COLD FRONT IS OVER THE E 
ATLANTIC FROM 32N11W TO 27N23W. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OVER THE 
WESTERN CANARY ISLANDS. IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC...WIDELY 
SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS N GUYANA FROM 6N-16N BETWEEN 
51W-60W. IN THE UPPER LEVELS... UPPER LEVEL TROUGHS ARE 
SUPPORTING BOTH FRONTS.

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

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FORMOSA