000 AXPZ20 KNHC 261607 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1605 UTC THU NOV 26 2009 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. BASED ON 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1415 UTC. ...ITCZ... AXIS ANALYZED ALONG 08N77W TO 07.5N86W TO 06N91W TO 05N99W TO 08N116W TO 08N130W TO 06N140W. ISOLATED MODERATE CONVECTION WAS WITHIN 90 NM OF AXIS E OF 93W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION WAS WITHIN 180 NM EITHER SIDE OF AXIS W OF 113W. ...DISCUSSION... WEAKENING HIGH PRESSURE PREVIOUSLY CENTERED N OF THE AREA NEAR 33.5N131.5W APPEARS TO HAVE COLLAPSED AND IS NOW PART OF HIGH PRES RIDGE ACROSS CENTRAL PACIFIC BRIDGING ACROSS AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. HOWEVER...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS COLLAPSED HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE IN THE VICINITY OF THE ITCZ HAS MAINTAINED A SHRINKING 20-25 KT WIND FIELD ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA FROM 24N S TO THE ITCZ AND W OF 127W. ALSO...SUFFICIENT GRADIENT PERSISTS ACROSS THE NRN GULF OF CALIFORNIA FOR 20-25 KT NLY WINDS WITHIN THE GULF N OF 28N THIS MORNING...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING. THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO SLIDE SE INTO THE FAR N PORTION OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. BEHIND THIS COLD FRONT...STRONG HIGH PRESSURE...1033 MB CURRENTLY NEAR 38N149W...WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND EVENTUALLY PASS N OF THE AREA BY SATURDAY AS THE COLD FRONT GRADUALLY WEAKENS INTO A SHEAR AXIS. THIS WILL AGAIN EXPAND THE AREA OF FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ACROSS THE AREA N OF 10N AND WEST OF 127W...WHILE NLY WINDS TO 30 FT WILL PREVAIL N OF 24N W OF 117W. LONG PERIOD NW SWELLS CURRENTLY DOMINATE MOST OF THE AREA W OF 100W...YIELDING SEAS OF 8 TO 12 FT...AND UP TO 15 FT WITH THE FRONT ACROSS FAR NW PORTIONS. A NEW PULSE OF NW SWELL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY MOVING INTO THE FAR NW PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THIS PULSE WILL SPREAD SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND YIELD SEAS OF 10 TO 15 FT W OF 115W...WITH THIS NW SWELL MIXING WITH NE WIND SWELL GENERATED FROM THE STRONG TRADES...RESULTING IN CONFUSED SEAS ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION N OF 10N. ...GAP WINDS... A 0330 ASCAT PASS LAST NIGHT WAS JUST TO THE WEST OF THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC AND INDICATED 30 KT WINDS. GALE CONDITIONS OCCURRING NOW ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY INCREASE TODAY AND REACH 50 KT...OR STORM CONDITIONS BY 00Z TONIGHT...AND CONTINUE THROUGH NEARLY 00Z SAT...WITH GALES FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEST MIDDAY SATURDAY. EASTERLY TRADES IN THE W CARIBBEAN WILL CONTINUE TO FUNNEL THROUGH THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO AND DOWNSTREAM OF THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO TO NEAR 89W FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS MAINTAINING FRESH TO STRONG WINDS THERE. $$ STRIPLING