000 AXNT20 KNHC 081052 TWDAT Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 652 AM EDT Sun Mar 8 2020 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 0600 UTC surface analysis and satellite imagery through 1040 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... ...CARIBBEAN SEA GALE WARNING... The 18-hour forecast, starting at 08/0600 UTC, from 17N to 19N between 75W and 77W, including in the Windward Passage, consists of NE gale-force winds. The sea heights will range from 9 feet to 13 feet. Expect, also, NE gale-force winds and sea heights reaching 8 feet, from 17N to 18N between 70W and 71W, in the southern coastal waters of the Dominican Republic. A second area of gale-force winds is forecast to develop in the waters that are off the coast of Colombia, in 18 hours, from 11N to 12N between 74W and 76W. The sea heights are forecast to range from 8 feet to 9 feet. Please read the latest HIGH SEAS FORECAST: MIAHSFAT2/FZNT02 KNHC, the latest OFFSHORE FORECAST: MIAOFFNT3/FZNT23 KNHC, or go to the website https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFAT2.shtml, from the NWS National Hurricane Center, for more details. ...MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ... The monsoon trough passes through the coastal border areas of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau near 11N15W, curving to 08N17W, and 05N19W. The ITCZ continues from 05N19W, to 03N24W, and 01N29W. Precipitation: Isolated moderate to locally strong is from 07N southward from 50W eastward. GULF OF MEXICO... A surface ridge passes through Louisiana, into the west central part of the Gulf of Mexico, continuing to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec of southern Mexico. High pressure in the eastern U.S.A. will shift eastward, slowly, into the Atlantic Ocean, through the forecast period, and dominate the conditions across the Gulf of Mexico. Fresh to strong winds, currently in the eastern waters, will diminish late on Monday. CARIBBEAN SEA... The 18-hour forecast, starting at 08/0600 UTC, from 17N to 19N between 75W and 77W, including in the Windward Passage, consists of NE gale-force winds. The sea heights will range from 9 feet to 13 feet. Expect, also, NE gale-force winds and sea heights reaching 8 feet, from 17N to 18N between 70W and 71W, in the southern coastal waters of the Dominican Republic. Please read the SPECIAL FEATURES section. A second area of gale-force winds is forecast to develop in the waters that are off the coast of Colombia, in 18 hours, from 11N to 12N between 74W and 76W. The sea heights are forecast to range from 8 feet to 9 feet. Please read the SPECIAL FEATURES section. A cold front is passing through 21N70W in the Atlantic Ocean about 100 nm to the north of the Dominican Republic, through the Windward Passage, to 18N80W in the NW corner of the Caribbean Sea, curving to 17N75W, and to the eastern part of Honduras. Precipitation: Broken to overcast low level and middle level clouds and possible rainshowers are to the northwest of the line that runs from 16N70W to 13N77W, to the coast of Panama along 80W. Rainshowers are possible, elsewhere, in clusters of broken low level clouds, in trade wind flow, across the area. 24-hour rainfall totals that are listed for the period that ended at 08/0000 UTC, according to the PAN AMERICAN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLES, MIATPTPAN/SXCA01 KNHC, are: 0.15 in Guadeloupe. The current cold front will move SE and stall, from eastern Puerto Rico into the central Caribbean Sea on Monday. Strong winds and large seas will prevail behind the front across the Caribbean Sea. Expect brief gale-force winds in the lee of Cuba, the Windward Passage, and off the southern coast of Hispaniola on tonight. Strong winds will prevail, elsewhere, in the south central Caribbean Sea through the forecast period. The wind speeds will pulse to minimal gale-force tonight and on Monday night. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A cold front is about 480 nm to the east of Bermuda, passing through 32N55W, to 28N60W, to 21N70W, through the Windward Passage, to 18N80W in the NW corner of the Caribbean Sea. Precipitation: Broken to overcast multilayered clouds and possible rainshowers are within 330 nm to 430 nm to the west/northwest of the line that passes through 32N51W to 23N58W, to the NE Caribbean Sea islands near 18N63W. 24-hour rainfall totals that are listed for the period that ended at 08/0000 UTC, according to the PAN AMERICAN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLES, MIATPTPAN/SXCA01 KNHC, are: 0.39 in Bermuda. The current strong cold front will move SE this weekend. It will stall and weaken in eastern Puerto Rico and the SE waters, from tonight through Monday. Strong winds and large seas, developing behind the front, will prevail through Tuesday. The conditions will start to improve during the middle of the next week. $$ MT