000 AXPZ20 KNHC 020923 TWDEP Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 923 UTC Thu Mar 2 2017 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: A cold front over the northwest Gulf of Mexico will sweep across the remainder of the gulf through late today. Strong high pressure will build in behind the front, with northerly winds forecast to begin to funnel into the Gulf of Tehuantepec during the late morning. The high pressure will surge southward along the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains over eastern Mexico, helping to tighten the pressure gradient across the area and increase winds to gale force over the Gulf of Tehuantepec starting tonight. Gale force winds are expected to continue over the Gulf of Tehuantepec through early Sunday before diminishing below gale force. Seas are expected to build to around 15 ft early Friday, and again early Saturday. Looking ahead, gaps winds to gale force are possible again Saturday night into Sunday. The high pressure north of the area weakens starting Sunday, with strong to near gale conditions Sunday night, but only fresh to strong gap winds by late Monday. Please see the latest NWS High Seas Forecast under AWIPS/WMO headers MIAHSFEP2/FZPNO3 KNHC for more details. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... ITCZ from 02N107W to 05N113W to 04N128W. No significant convection observed. ...DISCUSSION... OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO... Please see above for more on the next Gulf of Tehuantepec gale force gap wind event. Moderately strong high pressure building over the Great Basin north of the area is supporting strong northwest winds along the length of the Gulf of California. The long fetch and persistence of the strong winds will allow seas to build to 8 ft today over portions of the central and southern Gulf of California. Winds and seas diminish into Friday as the high pressure shifts eastward. Elsewhere light to gentle winds and 4 to 6 ft seas will prevail over the offshore waters of Mexico through Sunday. Looking ahead, a cold front may bring strong northerly winds and seas to 8 ft to the waters off Baja California Norte late Monday. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, AND WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR... Winds will pulse over the Gulf of Papagayo through this morning, then diminish later this evening. For tonight and Friday night, the area of gap winds will expand northward to cover the waters off Puerto Sandino, Nicaragua and off the Gulf of Fonseca. Winds will peak near 25 kt during the late night and early morning hours, and will diminish to 20 kt or less during the early evening hours. Seas with these winds will build to around 9 ft early each morning before subsiding below 8 ft early each evening through Monday. The short period northeast and east swell emerging out of the Gulf of Tehuantepec and other gap wind areas will coalesce into an area of seas to 9 ft reaching as far west as 110W by late Saturday, then subsiding below 8 ft through late Sunday. Gulf of Panama...Winds will freshen each night before diminishing during the late afternoon hours through Monday. Elsewhere, light to gentle breezes will persist through early next week. REMAINDER OF THE AREA... High pressure north of the area is maintaining fresh northeast to east winds over much of the area north of 05N, with areas of fresh to strong winds from 20N to 25N. Recent altimeter satellite data along with reports from Buoy 43010 near 10N125W indicate seas are reaching 8 to 9 ft in pockets across the region, as northeast to east wind waves mix with longer period northwest swell. The winds and seas diminish through late Saturday as the high pressure weakens. Looking ahead, northerly swell in excess of 8 ft will follow a cold front expected to move south of 30N Sunday night, encompassing much of the area north of 25N by late Monday. $$ CHRISTENSEN