000 AXNT20 KNHC 030515 TWDAT TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 205 AM EDT FRI APR 03 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 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0515 UTC. ...ITCZ/MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS ACROSS AFRICA INTO THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC NEAR 06N10W TO 01N11W. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 01N11W TO 03S23W TO THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA NEAR 05S37W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS FROM 02N-04S BETWEEN 23W-30W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... A 1028 MB HIGH IS CENTERED OVER THE W ATLANTIC NEAR 35N65W WITH ITS RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING W ACROSS THE GULF SUPPORTING FAIR WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA. SLIGHT TO GENTLE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE BASIN. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. IN 48 HOURS...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE BASIN WITH CONVECTION. CARIBBEAN SEA... THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE W ATLANTIC ALSO EXTENDS S REACHING THE CARIBBEAN SUPPORTING FAIR WEATHER MAINLY ACROSS THE W HALF OF THE BASIN. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS OBSERVED ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN OVER HISPANIOLA...PUERTO RICO AND THE LESSER ANTILLES. GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADES PREVAIL ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE BASIN EXCEPT TWO AREAS. ONE IS W OF 78W AND N OF 17N...WHERE SCATTEROMETER DATA DEPICTS A SLIGHT TO GENTLE EASTERLY FLOW. THE OTHER AREA IS N OF COLOMBIA S OF 13N BETWEEN 74W-78W...WHERE OBSERVATIONS DEPICT A MODERATE TO FRESH NORTH- EASTERLY FLOW. OVER THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS...EXPECT SIMILAR WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILING ACROSS THE AREA. HISPANIOLA... SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE MOVING OVER THE ISLAND AS RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM AN OLD SHEAR LINE PERSISTS. THIS ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A 1028 MB SURFACE HIGH EXTENDS ACROSS THE W ATLANTIC WITH CENTER NEAR 35N65W SUPPORTING FAIR WEATHER. TO THE E...AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH SUPPORTS A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM 31N52W TO 26N60W TO 26N73W. A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH IS AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE EXTENDING FROM 30N51W TO 24N60W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS N OF 26N BETWEEN 48W-55W. ANOTHER SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS ACROSS THE E ATLANTIC WITH FAIR WEATHER. OVER THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS...THE COLD FRONT AND PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE MOVING E WITH CONVECTION. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ ERA