000 AXPZ20 KNHC 130945 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 0405 UTC THU FEB 13 2014 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 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 2030 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC...HIGH PRESSURE HAS BUILT SOUTHWARD ALONG THE GULF COAST OF MEXICO...BEHIND A COLD FRONT NOW STRETCHED ACROSS THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST GULF OF MEXICO. THIS PRESSURE PATTERN IS DRIVING STRONG WINDS THROUGH THE CHIVELAS PASS...WITH WINDS THROUGH THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC RECENTLY INCREASING TO GALE FORCE. A 0408 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWED WINDS TO 30 KT AT THAT TIME EXTENDING 30 NM OFFSHORE. THIS GALE EVENT WILL BE SHORT LIVED...WITH CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TO 30 KT BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT RACES EASTWARD OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE PRESSURE GRADIENT THROUGH CHIVELA PASS WEAKENS. THE GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK AT ONLY 35 KT WITH SEAS TO 12 FT THU. N WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW A STRONG BREEZE AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE BELOW 8 FT BY SUNRISE FRI. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... MONSOON TROUGH FROM 09N74.5W TO 04.5N78W TO 10N86W TO 05N96W. ITCZ AXIS EXTENDS FROM 05N96W TO 07.5N113W TO BEYOND 06.5N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION NOTED FROM 03N TO 06.5N BETWEEN 84W AND 89W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION NOTED FROM 06.5N TO 13N BETWEEN 120W AND 131W. ...DISCUSSION... SOUTHWEST FLOW ON THE S SIDE OF A WEAK UPPER LOW NEAR 17N132W IS TAPPING INTO DEEP LAYERED TROPICAL MOISTURE POOLED ALONG THE ITCZ W OF 118W AS SEEN IN PRECIPITABLE WATER IMAGERY. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION WAS FOUND FROM 06.5N TO 13N BETWEEN 120W AND 131W. THIS CONVECTION IS BEING ENHANCED BY UPPER DIFFLUENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REAR RIGHT QUADRANT OF THE SOUTHWESTERLY UPPER JET. THE LOW IS FORECAST TO REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY AS IT OPENS INTO A TROUGH OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS. PRECIPITATION THERE IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT WESTWARD ALONG THE ITCZ TO NEAR 130W OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ELSEWHERE...A 1026 MB SUBTROPICAL HIGH NEAR 32N129W EXTENDS A RIDGE AXIS THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TO NEAR 15N108W. RECENT ASCAT PASSES SHOWED FRESH TRADE WINDS TO THE SW OF THE HIGH... FROM 08N TO 17N W OF 131W...WHERE SEAS ARE RUNNING 8-9 FT. THE HIGH IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AND REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY AS IT IS ENCROACHED UPON BY A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY FOUND TO THE NW OF THE AREA DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THIS WILL FURTHER DIMINISH THE TRADE WINDS AND SHRINK THE AREA OF NE SWELL. THIS FRONT IS NOT EXPECTED TO MAKE IT INTO THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH FRI MORNING. GULF OF PAPAGAYO...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT HAS RELAXED IN ADVANCE OF THE COLD FRONT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO EXPECTED TO BRING GALE FORCE WINDS TO THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. WINDS IN THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO ARE ONLY A MODERATE TO FRESH NE BREEZE AT THE MOMENT BUT ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME A STRONG BREEZE FRI MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT STRETCHES SOUTHWARD THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA AND NOCTURNAL DRAINAGE FLOW IS AT ITS PEAK. $$ STRIPLING