000 AXPZ20 KNHC 222135 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 2205 UTC TUE MAR 22 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... THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE AXIS IS ANALYZED FROM 06N87W TO 03N103W TO 06N129W TO 05N140W. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. ...DISCUSSION... A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE SE INTO THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA... AND EXTENDS FROM 30N131W TO 27N140W. ASCAT SHOWS NW WINDS 20-25 KT W OF FRONT. SW WINDS TO 20 KT ARE ALSO NOTED E OF THE FRONT N OF 29W. THE FRONT WILL APPROACH THE W COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA DURING THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS AND DISSIPATE THU. LONG PERIOD NW SWELLS GENERATED BY THE FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO THE AREA TONIGHT. A RIDGE EXTENDS FROM A 1035 MB HIGH NW OF THE AREA NEAR 37N156W TO A 1022 HIGH NEAR 27N123W. THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND LOWER PRES NEAR THE ITCZ IS MAINTAINING FRESH 20 KT TRADES FROM 06N TO 20N W OF 128W. THIS AREA OF TRADES WILL CHANGE LITTLE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE PRES GRADIENT WILL INCREASE OVER THE W COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA BETWEEN THIS RIDGE AND LOWER PRES OVER CENTRAL MEXICO. AN AREA OF 20 KT WINDS NEAR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA WILL EXPAND TO WITHIN 90 NM OF THE COASTLINE WED. A TROUGH NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA HAS FEW SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS. GAP WINDS... GULF OF CALIFORNIA...A STRONGER PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN INCREASED TROUGHING OVER CENTRAL MEXICO ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF A COLD FRONT AND RIDGING OVER N WATERS WILL ALLOW 20 KT WINDS TO CONTINUE OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA INTO WED THAT WILL MIGRATE S TOWARD CABO CORRIENTES THROUGH THU. GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...FRESH N TO NE WINDS ARE STILL NOTED BY ASCAT THROUGH THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT WITHIN THE NEXT 6-12 HOURS. GULFS OF PAPAGAYO AND PANAMA...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD AS THE PRES GRADIENT REMAINS STRONG BETWEEN HIGH PRES TO THE N OVER CENTRAL AMERICA AND LOWER PRES TO THE S ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. $$ MUNDELL