000 AXPZ20 KNHC 161607 TWDEP TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1605 UTC MON FEB 16 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 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH 1500 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC GALE WARNING...HIGH PRES RIDGING IS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING DOWN ALONG EASTERN MEXICO IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT. THE PRES GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN ACROSS SE MEXICO BETWEEN THIS RIDGING AND LOWER PRES TO THE S. WINDS WILL BECOME NORTHERLY AND INCREASE TO FRESH TO STRONG VERY RAPIDLY IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...THEN INCREASING TO GALE FORCE LATER THIS MORNING. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH SAT MORNING AS THE TIGHT PRES GRADIENT LINGERS ACROSS THE AREA. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR LATE WED NIGHT AS THEY INCREASE TO STRONG GALE. SEAS WILL BUILD TO UP TO 15-17 FT AT THAT TIME. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE... THE ITCZ AXIS EXTENDS FROM 04N85W TO 04N110W TO 06N125W TO 01N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS NOTED WITHIN 60 NM S OF AXIS BETWEEN 87W AND 97W...AND WITHIN 120 NM N OF AXIS BETWEEN 100W AND 108W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED WITHIN 60 NM EITHER SIDE OF AXIS BETWEEN 122W AND 132W...AND WITHIN 60 NM EITHER SIDE OF AXIS BETWEEN 135W AND 138W. ...DISCUSSION... N OF 15N E OF 120W...A WEAK PRESSURE PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE WINDS ACROSS THE REGION...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OCCASIONAL NW WINDS TO 20 KT ALONG THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA BETWEEN WEAK HIGH PRES OVER BUILDING W OF THE AREA NEAR 26N120W AND TROUGHING OVER NW MEXICO. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE E OF 120W AND INTO THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA WED...THEN STALL AND BECOME DIFFUSE THU. WAVE HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MID WEEK. LOOKING AHEAD...NW SWELL WITH HEIGHTS 8 FT OR GREATER WILL E OF 120W BY LATE FRI. S OF 15N E OF 110W...ONLY A SMALL PLUME OF FRESH TO STRONG GAP WIND FLOW IS CURRENTLY DIMINISHING. FRESH TO STRONG FLOW WILL RETURN LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WED...WITH AN EVEN STRONGER SURGE EXPECTED BY LATE MON NIGHT AS THE PRES GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION TIGHTENS. WINDS WILL PEAK AROUND 30 KT LATE WED NIGHT WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 8-10 FT. ELSEWHERE...A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS FROM NEAR 32N135W THROUGH TO 21N125W. A TROUGH FROM 08N133W TO 02N135W WILL MOVE W OF 140W THROUGH LATE WED...ACCOMPANIED BY 20 TO 25 KT TRADE WIND FLOW FROM 08N TO 12N BETWEEN 130W AND 135W. TRADES WILL DIMINISH TO 20 KT OR LESS ACROSS THE BASIN BETWEEN 24-48 HOURS. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL SPREADING ALL THE WAY TO 90W AND THE EQUATOR WILL CONTINUE TO DECAY THROUGH MID-WEEK. $$ CHRISTENSEN