000 AXPZ20 KNHC 200918 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1005 UTC FRI FEB 20 2015 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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 0900 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC GALE WARNING...PERSISTENT STRONG HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDING SOUTHWARD ACROSS SOUTHERN MEXICO TOWARD THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC AREA CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC. THIS IS SUPPORTING 30- 40 KT NORTHERLY WINDS WHICH WILL PERSIST UNTIL THE PRES GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN AND WINDS WILL TURN SOUTHERLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. WINDS WILL THEN CONTINUE TO DIMINISH TO 20 KT OR LESS IN ABOUT 24 HOURS. GULF OF PAPAGAYO GALE WARNING...A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN LOWER PRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ITCZ SW OF THE AREA AND HIGH PRES RIDGING ALONG CENTRAL AMERICA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS IN THE GULF OF PAPAGAYO. THESE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO GALE FORCE FRI NIGHT. THEN DECREASE TO BELOW GALE FORCE SAT AFTERNOON. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... MONSOON TROUGH FROM 6N87W TO 2N100W. ITCZ FROM 2N100W TO 5N125W TO N139W. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION. ...DISCUSSION... A CUT-OFF UPPER LOW PERSISTS NEAR 19N131W WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING SW TO NEAR 08N140W. THIS CUT-OFF LOW REMAINS AT THE SOUTHERN END OF A NARROW UPPER TROUGH THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE NW CORNER OF THE AREA FROM 32N130W TO 19N131W. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE E OF THE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM AN ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION NEAR 3N100W TO BAJA CALIFORNIA. SW WINDS E OF THE TROUGH IS ADVECTING MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE INTO BAJA CALIFORNIA AND NW MEXICO. THE PRES GRADIENT ACROSS THE SW CARIBBEAN HAS TIGHTENED RESULTING IN INCREASING NLY WIND THROUGH THE GULF OF PANAMA. THE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DECREASE BY SUN. $$ DGS