000 AXPZ20 KNHC 140951 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1005 UTC WED JAN 14 2009 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. BASED ON 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0815 UTC. ...ITCZ... ITCZ IS CENTERED ALONG 06N77W TO 06N95W TO 08N110W TO 09N122W TO 05N140W. ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTION CAN BE FOUND WITHIN 90 NM S AND 120 NM N OF AXIS E OF 87W WHILE SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION LIES WITHIN 90 NM OF AXIS W OF 134W. ...DISCUSSION... NEAR SHORE... THE ASCAT PASS FROM 0410 UTC SHOWS WINDS TO 45 KT IN THE GULF OF TEHAUNTEPEC...BUT CONSIDERING THE ASCAT RUNS ON THE LOW SIDE FOR HIGH WIND EVENTS...A STORM FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO A MINIMAL GALE WED EVENING THROUGH THU MORNING. ANOTHER SURGE OF ARCTIC AIR WILL MAKE ITS WAY THROUGH THE ISTHMUS OF TEHAUNTEPEC THU AFTERNOON... INCREASING THE WINDS BACK TO STORM FORCE OVERNIGHT THU NIGHT. TO THE SOUTH...PAPAGAYO CONTINUES TO SEE THE BLEED THROUGH OF EASTERLY TRADE WIND FLOW FROM THE CARIBBEAN. THE QUIKSCAT PASS FROM 2344 UTC SHOWS WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE WITH A FEW RETURNS REACHING 25 TO 30 KT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL LAST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA...WINDS ARE FINALLY EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE BELOW 20 KT THU AFTERNOON AFTER A LONG PERIOD OF ELEVATED WINDS INCLUDING GALE CONDITIONS. ELSEWHERE... THE DEEP LAYER RIDGE AXIS CENTERED APPROXIMATELY 300 NM OFF THE COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA IS EXPECTED TO BREAK DOWN THU/FRI AS MID TO UPPER LEVEL LOW BREAKS OFF FROM THE TROUGH OVER THE SW U.S. AND MIGRATES WEST INTO FAR NE WATERS. THIS LOW WILL HELP SHOVE THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL HIGH OFF THE CA COAST FARTHER NORTHWARD...HELPING TO BREAK DOWN THE DEEP LAYER RIDGING OVER N WATERS. HOWEVER...THE RIDGE WILL NOT SHIFT ENOUGH OVER THE FORECAST PERIOD TO ALLOW THE NEXT LONGWAVE TROUGH UPSTREAM TO MOVE INTO NW WATERS. ONLY THE SWELL FROM THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NW WATERS BY THU. FARTHER SOUTH...THE EASTERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE AROUND THE RIDGE IS CURRENTLY BEING BROKEN DOWN OVER W WATERS BY A MID LEVEL LOW CENTERED NEAR 17N135W. TRADE WIND FLOW HAS DIMINISHED TO 20 KT OVER W WATERS BETWEEN 05N AND 20N AND IS EXPECTED TO FURTHER DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT ON THU MORNING. A WEAK UPPER TROUGH FROM 20N120W TO 00N115W WILL CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN AS IT MOVES EASTWARD. UPPER LEVEL DIFFLUENCE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE TROUGH MAY SUPPORT SOME CONVECTION IN THE VICINITY OF THE ITCZ WHERE MOISTURE IS READILY AVAILABLE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. $$ SCHAUER CLARK