000 AXNT20 KNHC 051733 TWDAT Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1233 PM EST Mon Mar 5 2018 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 1700 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... Atlantic Ocean Storm Warning: Gale-force winds are being experienced now. COLD FRONT from 31N42W to 20N57W to 17N63W. N of 29N BETWEEN 58W AND 66W NW WINDS 30 to 35 KT. SEAS 22 to 26 feet. Storm-force winds are being forecast in 18 hours. Weakening cold front from 31N37W to 20N49W to 17N55W. N of 29N between 58W and 64W WINDS 40 to 50 KT. SEAS 25 to 34 feet. Please read the Atlantic Ocean High Seas Forecast under the AWIPS header MIAHSFAT2, and under the WMO header FZNT02 KNHC for more details. Large northerly swell will continue to push through the Atlantic Ocean passages, reaching the A-B-C Islands and coastal Venezuela through mid-week. This large swell also will propagate through the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean waters through the week. Fresh to strong winds will develop in the Central Caribbean Sea during the middle of the week. It is likely that heavy rainfall will continue in Trinidad, Tobago, and S Leeward islands through tonight. Please read the Offshore Waters Forecast, under the AWIPS header MIAOFFNT3, and under the WMO header FZNT23 KNHC, for more details. ...MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ... The monsoon trough passes through coastal sections of Sierra Leone near 07N12W, to 03N18W. The ITCZ continues from 03N18W to the Equator along 30W, to the Equator along 40W. Precipitation: widely scattered moderate to isolated strong from 03N southward, to the coast of Brazil, between 35W and 50W and the coast of Brazil. Rainshowers are possible elsewhere from 06N from 30W eastward. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... Broad surface anticyclonic wind flow spans the entire area. A surface ridge extends from a 1020 mb southern Georgia high pressure center, across NW Cuba, to 20N82W in the NW corner of the Caribbean Sea. The current high pressure and anticyclonic wind flow will slide eastward today. This will enable a cold front to enter the NW Gulf tonight. The front will shift across the forecast waters through Wednesday night, and then SE of the area on Thursday. High pressure will build in the wake of the front. CARIBBEAN SEA... Upper level dry air in subsidence is apparent in water vapor imagery, practically everywhere in the basin. The only part of the area where the comparatively drier air is not present is in the extreme SE corner, to the SE of the line 14N60W 11N68W. Upper level SW wind flow is present in the SE corner of the Caribbean Sea. Precipitation: isolated moderate to locally strong rainshowers are from 10N to 14N between 60W and 69W. A cold front passes through 18N60W in the Atlantic Ocean, across the islands, to 17N64W in the Caribbean Sea. The cold front is dissipating from 17N64W to 15N71W. Precipitation: rainshowers are possible in scattered to broken low level clouds, that are to the north of the line that passes through 17N62W 14N70W 10N80W. 24-hour rainfall totals that are listed for the period that ended at 05/1200 UTC...according to the PAN AMERICAN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLES...MIATPTPAN/SXCA01 KNHC...are: 5.06 in Trinidad, 0.13 in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 0.08 in San Juan in Puerto Rico. Large northerly swell will continue to push through the Atlantic Ocean passages, reaching the A-B-C Islands and coastal Venezuela through mid-week. This large swell also will propagate through the Tropical North Atlantic Ocean waters through the week. Fresh to strong winds will develop in the Central Caribbean Sea during the middle of the week. It is likely that heavy rainfall will continue in Trinidad, Tobago, and S Leeward islands through tonight. ATLANTIC OCEAN... Please read the SPECIAL FEATURES section for more details about the ongoing gale-force winds and storm-force winds event for the western and central Atlantic Ocean. Please read the Atlantic Ocean High Seas Forecast under the AWIPS header MIAHSFAT2, and under the WMO header FZNT02 KNHC for more details. Scattered moderate to isolated strong rainshowers are within 180 nm on either side of the line that passes through 32N37W to 24N45W to 15N56W to 10N62W, near NE Venezuela and Trinidad. Surface anticyclonic wind flow covers the area that is from 07N northward to the east of the cold front. A 1022 mb high pressure center is near 26N26W. Strong to gale force winds prevail N of 25N E of 73W. The gale force winds will shift E of the area by early Tuesday. Large mixed northerly swell will affect all the waters E of Florida and the Bahamas through mid-week. Another cold front will impact the waters E of Florida on Tuesday night and Wednesday, and then shift E of the area by the end of the week. Gale force winds will be possible on Wednesday N of 29N and between 70W and 75W associated with this front. For additional information please visit http://www.hurricanes.gov/marine $$ MT