000 AXNT20 KNHC 012331 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 705 PM EST SUN MAR 01 2015 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. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... ...GALE WARNING FOR THE SW CARIBBEAN... A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL WATERS OF COLOMBIA FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 76W. THESE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST HIGH SEAS FORECAST UNDER AWIPS/WMO HEADERS MIAHSFAT2/FZNT02 KNHC FOR MORE DETAILS. ...ITCZ/MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS ACROSS AFRICA INTO THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC NEAR 04N08W SW TO 01S14W WHERE THE ITCZ BEGINS AND CONTINUES ALONG 04S24W TO THE NORTHERN COAST OF BRAZIL NEAR 05S38W. ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 02S-03N BETWEEN 10W- 29W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... AN UPPER-LEVEL ANTICYCLONE IS CENTERED OVER GUATEMALA IN CENTRAL AMERICA AND EXTENDS N ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF SUPPORTING SUBSIDENCE AND FAIR WEATHER. A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS ACROSS CENTRAL US AND EXTENDS S ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL GULF. TO THE W...A 1021 MB SURFACE LOW IS CENTERED NEAR 28N96W. A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM THIS LOW TO THE SW ACROSS THE NW GULF REACHING NE MEXICO. A WARM FRONT IS FROM THE LOW TO THE E ALONG THE COASTS OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. FROM THAT POINT...THE FRONT BECOMES STATIONARY EXTENDING FROM 29N90W TO 29N83W. A SURFACE TROUGH IS ALSO ACROSS THE W GULF FROM THE LOW CENTER NEAR 28N96W TO 19N94W. ISOLATED CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE LOW AND ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARIES AND SURFACE TROUGH. A SOUTH-EASTERLY GENTLE TO MODERATE FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE BASIN. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING OVER THE NW GULF AND ALONG THE COAST FROM THE N CENTRAL GULF TO THE W FL PANHANDLE AS THE SURFACE LOW AND FRONTAL BOUNDARIES PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA. CARIBBEAN SEA... A PERSISTENT UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE DOMINATES THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SUPPORTING DRY AIR AND SUBSIDENCE THAT COVERS THE WHOLE BASIN. PATCHES OF SHALLOW LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SHOWERS N OF A LINE FROM 16N88W TO 11N62W AFFECTING THE EASTERN HALF OF THE BASIN INCLUDING THE LESSER ANTILLES...PUERTO RICO... HISPANIOLA AND JAMAICA. A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA PRODUCING GALE FORCE WINDS ACROSS THE S CARIBBEAN. PLEASE SEE THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE BASIN...GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADE WINDS PREVAIL. EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ...HISPANIOLA... A SHALLOW MOIST AIRMASS IS MOVING ACROSS THE ISLAND AND ADJACENT WATERS SUPPORTING ISOLATED CONVECTION. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS E ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA THEN ENTERING THE W ATLANTIC FROM 29N80W TO 31N80W. FROM THIS LAST POINT...THE BOUNDARY TRANSITIONS INTO A SURFACE TROUGH AND EXTENDS N REACHING THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST. TO THE E...A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT IS FROM 29N67W TO 31N62W. ISOLATED CONVECTION IS OBSERVED E OF THIS BOUNDARY MAINLY N OF 28N BETWEEN 47W-58W. FARTHER EAST...A 1033 MB HIGH CENTERED S OF THE AZORES PREVAILS EXTENDING ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN SUPPORTING FAIR WEATHER. GENTLE TO MODERATE EASTERLY FLOW IS OBSERVED IN SCATTEROMETER DATA ACROSS THE BASIN. OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...EXPECT FOR THE SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE W ATLANTIC WILL TRANSITION INTO A FRONTAL ZONE. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A COLD FRONT MOVING E ENHANCING CONVECTION. THE STATIONARY FRONT IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ ERA