000
AXPZ20 KNHC 160939
TWDEP 

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
0405 UTC TUE FEB 16 2010

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 
0915 UTC.

...ITCZ...
AXIS ANALYZED ALONG 04.5N77W TO 06N87W TO 04.5N95W TO 05.5N109W 
TO 04N117W TO 05N136W TO 04.5N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE 
CONVECTION WAS OCCURRING WITHIN 150 NM N OF AXIS BETWEEN 108W 
AND 125W.

...DISCUSSION...
A BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH PREVAILS ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA N OF 
10N. S OF 10N A BROAD TROUGH IS FOUND FROM 95W TO 116W...FLANKED 
BY RIDGES ON EITHER SIDE. THE SOUTHERN JET STREAM EXTENDS ACROSS 
THE FORECAST AREA FROM 5.5N140W TO SOUTHERN MEXICO WHICH 
CONTINUES NE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THROUGH THE BASE OF 
THE LARGE AND BROAD ERN U.S. UPPER CYCLONE. BROKEN TO OVERCAST 
MIDDLE TO HIGH CLOUDS WERE BEING TRANSPORTED WITHIN THE 
JET...AND ALSO SHEARING AWAY CONVECTIVE DEBRIS FROM MODERATE 
CONVECTION OCCURRING N OF THE ITCZ. 

AT THE SURFACE...1023 MB HIGH PRESSURE WAS CENTERED NEAR 
31N130W. THE STRONGEST TRADES ARE FOUND IN THE TRADEWIND BELT 
BETWEEN THIS HIGH PRESSURE AND THE ITCZ...GENERALLY W OF 128W. 
SEAS ACROSS THE AREA WATERS CONTINUE TO BE DOMINATED BY LARGE NW 
SWELLS...WITH HIGHEST SEAS OF 11 TO 14 FT N OF 10N W OF 110W. 

GAP WINDS
ANOTHER COLD FRONT HAS MOVED RAPIDLY ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. 
STRONG HIGH PRES HAS BUILT BEHIND THE FRONT...AND STRONG NLY 
FLOW IS PRODUCING GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE GULF OF TEHAUNTEPEC. 
GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS 
BEFORE DIMINISHING BELOW GALE FORCE ON THU. 

ELSEWHERE ALONG THE CENTRAL AMERICAN COAST...ELY WINDS OF 20 KT 
CONTINUES OVER THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO. THESE WINDS WILL BE 
REINFORCED BY THE COLD FRONT WHICH PASSED ACROSS THE GULF OF 
MEXICO AS IT CONTINUES TO SHIFT E OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. WINDS 
IN THE GULF OF FONSECA ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE ABOVE 20 KT AS 
THE FRONT SHIFTS ACROSS THE GULF OF HONDURAS...INCREASING THE 
WINDS FUNNELING INTO THE GULF OF FONSECA. MEANWHILE...FRESH TO 
STRONG TRADES OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA WILL CONTINUE TO FUNNEL 
INTO TO THE GULF OF PANAMA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. 

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT 
HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE

$$
AL