000 AXPZ20 KNHC 162157 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 2205 UTC WED FEB 16 2011 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2100 UTC. ...ITCZ... AXIS FROM 07N116W TO 06N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WITHIN 30 NM OF AXIS W OF 137W. ...DISCUSSION... LARGE AMPLITUDE DEEP LAYER LONGWAVE TROUGH ENTER E PAC AT 32N28W TO 10N140W. TROUGH SUPPORTS COLD FRONT FROM 32N121W TO 25N134W MOVING SE...BUT SLOWING DOWN. HEALTHY SHORTWAVE RACES SE ALONG LONG WAVE TROUGH BRINGING IN FAST-MOVING COLD FRONT WHICH CATCHES UP WITH FIRST ONE AND MERGE BY LATE THU. SECOND COLD FRONT MUCH STRONGER WITH STRONG SW FLOW AHEAD OF BOUNDARY AND LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELLS AS HIGH AS 15 FT BEHIND IT. WINDS SHOULD REMAIN N OF 25N BUT SWELLS SPREAD S OF 20N BY LATE FRI. BROAD RIDGE CREST ALONG 110W MAINTAINS MOST OF REGION IN FAIRLY DRY STATE DUE TO MODERATE TO STRONG SUBSIDING AIR MASS EXCEPT 300 NM SWATH OF MOISTURE CENTERED ALONG COLD FRONT. MODEL GUIDANCE MOVE RIDGE AXIS FURTHER E AS SERIES OF SHORT WAVES CONTINUE ACROSS BASIN N OF 20N THROUGH FORECAST PERIOD AND BEYOND. ELSEWHERE AT THE SURFACE... FRESH N TO NW WINDS ALONG W COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA CONTINUE AS MERGING FRONTS TIGHTEN GRADIENT AGAINST COASTAL MOUNTAINS. WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH LATE THU AS FRONT SHIFT NE IN RESPONSE TO UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE. FRESH TO STRONG NE TRADES W OF 127W WEAKENED AS HIGH PRES RIDGE IS FORCED E BY MERGED COLD FRONT. NEVERTHELESS...AFOREMENTIONED LARGE SWELLS SPREAD S WITH 10 FT SEAS REACHING 10N W OF 112W. GAP WIND FLOWING THROUGH GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT TONIGHT AS SOURCES WINDS SHIFT SE IN GULF OF MEXICO. FRESH BREEZE CONTINUE TO PULSE THROUGH GULF OF PAPAGAYO OVER NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...PRIMARILY DURING EARLY MORNING MOUNTAIN DRAINAGE HOURS. $$ WALLY BARNES