000 AXNT20 KNHC 062358 TWDAT Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 658 PM EST Tue Mar 6 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 1800 UTC surface analysis and satellite imagery through 2345 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... Atlantic Gale Warning A cold front extends from 32N50W to 26N58W. Within 120 nm on either side of the front, southwesterly winds 35 to 45 kt. Seas in this area will range between 23-33 ft. These conditions are expected to continue through late Wednesday. Please read the Atlantic High Seas Forecast under the AWIPS header MIAHSFAT2, and under the WMO header FZNT02 KNHC for more details. Another area of gale-force winds is expected to develop by Wednesday afternoon over the west Atlantic mainly north of 29N and within 120 NM east of a front that will extend at that time from 31N74W to 27N80W. Seas in this area will range between 14-16 ft. These conditions will continue through late Wednesday. Please read the Atlantic High Seas Forecast under the AWIPS header MIAHSFAT2, and under the WMO header FZNT02 KNHC for more details. Please refer to the METEO-FRANCE High Seas Forecast, that is listed on the website: WWW.METEOFRANCE.COM/PREVISIONS-METEO- MARINE/BULLETIN/ GRANDLARGE/METAREA2. The OUTLOOK, for the 24 hours that follow the forecast that is valid until 07/1200 UTC, consists of: the threat of SW near gale or gale in : IRVING, MADEIRA, and METEOR. ...MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ... The monsoon trough passes through coastal sections of Sierra Leone near 08N13W, to 06N19W. The ITCZ continues from 06N19W to the Equator along 29W, to 02S36W, and 02S42W. Precipitation: isolated moderate to locally strong rainshowers from 02N southward between 35W and 37W, and from 09N southward between 49W and 54W. rainshowers are possible elsewhere from 05N southward from 30W eastward. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF MEXICO... A cold front cuts through SE Louisiana, the NW Gulf of Mexico, to the Deep South of Texas, and beyond into northern Mexico. Broken to overcast multilayered clouds and isolated moderate to locally strong rainshowers cover the Gulf waters from 25N northward. Upper level westerly wind flow is apparent in water vapor imagery. Broad surface anticyclonic wind flow covers the area from 19N northward between 72W and 88W, including parts of the NW Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the Bahamas, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Florida. A 1019 mb high pressure center is near 27N79W between Florida and the NW Bahamas. The current NW Gulf cold front will reach from the Florida Panhandle to northeast Mexico this evening, reach from Central Florida to the Bay of Campeche at sunrise on Wednesday, and move south of the area on Wednesday night. Strong northerly winds across the NW Gulf waters tonight will increase to near gale force along the Mexican coast on Wednesday, and then subside on Thursday. Southerly return flow will set up across the NW Gulf on Thursday night, and spread eastward across the entire Gulf by late Friday night, ahead of the next cold front moving into the northern waters late on Saturday night. CARIBBEAN SEA... A dissipating cold front is along 17N57W, across the island of Dominica, to 14N67W. Precipitation: isolated moderate to locally strong rainshowers are from 10N to 15N between 56W and 69W, near Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and the other islands in the SE corner of the Caribbean Sea. Five inches of rain were reported in Trinidad, during the 24 hours that ended at 05 March/ 1200 UTC, per the PAN AMERICAN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLES...MIATPTPAN/SXCA01 KNHC. 24-hour rainfall totals, for the period ending at 06/1200 UTC: 0.22 in Trinidad, and 0.12 in San Juan in Puerto Rico. Large northerly swell, propagating southward through the northern Caribbean Sea passages, and through the tropical waters to the east of the Lesser Antilles, will subside gradually this week. Fresh trades are observed across the eastern Caribbean Sea, with fresh to locally strong trades across the south-central Caribbean Sea waters. The surface pressure gradient will tighten during the next few days, with strong trade winds forecast across the south- central Caribbean Sea through the upcoming weekend. ATLANTIC OCEAN... Please read the SPECIAL FEATURES section for more details about the ongoing event of gale-force winds and storm-force winds, 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. A cold front passes through 32N37W to 20N50W, to 17N57W. The cold front is dissipating from 17N57W, beyond the island of Dominica, into the Caribbean Sea. Rainshowers are possible within 180 nm to 240 nm on either side of the line that passes through 32N29W to 24N42W to 17N54W to 15N60W. A cold front curves through 32N52W to 27N60W and 28N65W. rainshowers are possible in scattered-to-broken low level clouds, that are from 20N northward between 47W and 80W. Surface anticyclonic wind flow covers the Atlantic Ocean, from 10N northward to the east of the cold front. A 1023 mb high pressure center is near 24N31W. Large northerly swell will continue across the entire exposed waters through mid-week. Strong southerly winds will develop north of the Bahamas this evening, ahead of a cold front moving off northeast Florida late tonight, with minimal gale conditions developing north of 30N east of the front on Wednesday. The front will reach from Bermuda to the central Cuba on Thursday morning, and reach from 27N65W to Hispaniola on Friday morning. A second cold front will move eastward, across the waters north of the Bahamas on Thursday, and merge with the first cold front across the tropical waters north of Puerto Rico late on Friday. For additional information please visit http://www.hurricanes.gov/marine $$ ERA/MT