000 AXPZ20 KNHC 250330 AAA TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 0405 UTC SUN DEC 25 2011 TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN FROM THE EQUATOR TO 32N...EAST OF 140W. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...WEATHER OBSERVATIONS...RADAR...AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS. BASED ON 0000 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0300 UTC. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS EXTENDS FROM 09N83W TO 07N102W. THE ITCZ AXIS EXTENDS FROM 07N102W TO 10N128W TO BEYOND 08N140W. ISOLATED MODERATE TO STRONG CONVECTION WAS NOTED WITHIN 60 NM S OF ITCZ AXIS FROM 102W TO 106W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WAS NOTED WITHIN WITHIN 30 NM N AND 60 NM S OF ITCZ AXIS FROM 106W TO 110W. ...DISCUSSION... GULF OF CALIFORNIA...UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS HELPED INDUCE A SURFACE TROUGH OVER ARIZONA. THIS HAS HELPED WEAKEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND RESULTING WINDS FLOWING INTO THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA. WINDS ARE CURRENTLY BELOW GALE FORCE...AND WILL CONTINUE TO FURTHER DIMINISH WITH ONLY A SMALL AREA OF FRESH 20 KT WINDS REMAINING BY MONDAY EVENING. GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...RECENT ASCAT AND WINDSAT PASSES INDICATE GALE FORCE WINDS ARE NO LONGER OCCURRING OVER THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL REACH THE BAY OF CAMPECHE SUN...AND WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO GALE FORCE AGAIN BY SUN NIGHT. WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE LATE MON AFTERNOON. GULF OF PAPAGAYO...FRESH TRADEWINDS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WILL FUNNEL INTO THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO. WINDS WILL PEAK DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH THE ADDITION OF NOCTURNALLY DRIVEN KATABATIC WINDS. HIGH PRES 1031 MB IS CENTERED N OF THE AREA NEAR 35N128W WITH SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING SE TO NEAR 16N104W. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE AND LOWER PRESSURE IN THE VICINITY OF THE ITCZ IS IS MAINTAINING A LARGE AREA OF FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS OVER MUCH OF THE AREA N OF 10N W OF 110W. THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MERGE WITH AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE TO ITS WEST THROUGH SUN. A SURFACE TROUGH CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM 15N129W TO 08N131W. THIS TROUGH WILL INTERACT WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO ITS WEST AND HELP STRENGTHEN THE LOW LEVEL TROUGH AS IT CONTINUES TO SHIFT WESTWARD. A LOCALLY TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE TROUGH AND AFOREMENTIONED RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL INCREASE WINDS LOCALLY TO NEAR GALE FORCE BY SUN AFTERNOON. $$ AL