000 AXNT20 KNHC 221037 TWDAT Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1205 UTC Wed Mar 22 2023 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 31N. The following information is based on satellite imagery, weather observations, radar and meteorological analysis. Based on 0600 UTC surface analysis and satellite imagery through 1020 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... Caribbean Gale Warning: A tight pressure gradient over the south- central Caribbean will continue to support strong trades during the next several days, pulsing to gale-force at night offshore Colombia through the forecast period. Seas will peak around 12 ft each morning around sunrise in the vicinity of 11N76W. Please read the latest High Seas Forecast at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFEP2.shtml and Offshore Waters Forecast at www.nhc.noaa.gov/marine/offshores.php for more details on the Gale Warning. ...MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ... The monsoon trough extends from the coast of Liberia near 07N11W to 02N29W. No ITCZ is present in the Atlantic basin at the moment. Scattered moderate to strong convection is observed from 00N to 06N between 05W and 25W. GULF OF MEXICO... High pressure ridging from the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast and across the southeastern U.S. is the main feature in the Gulf of Mexico. In the western Gulf, winds are fresh from the SE. Recent buoy and altimeter observations indicate seas are 6-9 ft over the western Gulf, west of 93W. A surface trough over the eastern Bay of Campeche is supporting fresh to strong NE winds and 5-7 ft seas there. In the eastern Gulf, winds are gentle to moderate from the E-SE with slight seas. The exception is in the Florida Straits, where a moderate to fresh easterly breeze is building 4-6 ft seas. For the forecast, high pressure will persist over the SE United States through Fri, allowing for primarily moderate to fresh winds, except for fresh to strong SE winds in the western Gulf late tonight through Fri. Fresh to strong winds will also pulse off NW Yucatan during the evening through the next few days. A weak cold front is forecast to enter the NW Gulf waters late Fri and move eastward while losing strength. CARIBBEAN SEA... Please read the Special Features section for details on a Gale Warning in the south-central Caribbean Sea. The gradient between subtropical high pressure and lower pressure over the SW Caribbean is supporting strong to gale force NE to E winds in the south-central Caribbean. Fresh NE to E winds are occurring elsewhere across the Caribbean Sea. Seas are generally 6-8 ft in the central and eastern Caribbean, reaching 9-14 ft near the strongest winds in the Colombian Basin. Seas of 4 to 5 ft prevail over the NW basin, except up to 6 ft in the Gulf of Honduras. For the forecast, the gradient between an Atlantic high pressure ridge extending north of Puerto Rico and lower pressure over northern South America will continue to cause strong winds over the south-central Caribbean Sea, with winds pulsing to gale force at night near the coast of Colombia through the forecast period. Fresh trades will prevail elsewhere through the weekend. Pulsing strong winds will develop in the Windward Passage and south of Hispaniola beginning late today. Strong trade winds will develop over the Gulf of Honduras late Fri and persist through the weekend. ATLANTIC OCEAN... A cold front extends from 31N61W to the SE Bahamas near 22N73W. Behind the front, winds are fresh from the NE with 7-10 ft seas, except strong NE winds are occurring north of 29.5N behind the front W to 67W. Seas are 9 to 11 ft in the strong wind area. Southeast the front, moderate S to SW winds are likely occurring north of 27N, while light to gentle winds prevail south of 27N near a surface ridge. The surface ridge extends WSW from a 1025 mb high pressure centered near 30N43W to 23N69W. Light to gentle winds and 4-6 ft seas prevail within a few hundred nm of the surface ridge axis. Fresh NE winds are noted over the Straits of Florida and Old Bahama Channel, becoming fresh E to the north of Hispaniola. Over the tropical Atlantic, to the south of the aforementioned ridge axis, fresh ENE trade winds prevail from 12N to 22N between 35W and 60W with seas 8 to 9 ft. Fresh NE winds with similar seas also extend over much of the NE Atlantic from southern Morocco and northern Western Sahara through the Canary Islands southwestward to near 20N35W. For the forecast west of 55W, fresh to strong NNE to NE winds and rough seas will continue behind the western Atlantic cold front north of 27N as it moves southeastward through Thu. The front will reach from near 29N55W to 22N73W early Thu. High pressure ridging will build in Fri across the area and persist through the weekend. $$ Hagen