000 AXPZ20 KNHC 201701 AAA TWDEP Tropical Weather Discussion...AMENDED NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1605 UTC Thu Feb 20 2020 AMENDED 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 1550 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... .Gulf of Tehuantepec Gale Warning: A cold front, that is in the NW Gulf of Mexico now, will move toward the east and southeast tonight, passing through southern Mexico tonight, on Thursday night. Expect abrupt gale-force winds across Gulf of Tehuantepec late tonight. The wind speeds will continue to strengthen on Friday. It is possible that the winds may reach near storm-force on Friday night, with sea heights building to nearly 22 feet. The gale-force winds will diminish gradually from Saturday through Saturday night. The wind speeds are expected to slow down to less than gale-force late on Sunday morning. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... A surface trough extends from 06N77W, to 06N83W, to 03N100W and 03N106W. The ITCZ continues from 03N106W, to 04N116W 07N128W, beyond 06N140W. Precipitation: scattered moderate to isolated strong from 02N to 04N E of 80W, within 150 nm on either side of the surface trough between 81W and 94W, and within 120 nm N of the surface trough/ITCZ between 105W and 107W. Isolated moderate within 180 nm N of the ITCZ from 127W westward. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO... For the Gulf of Tehuantepec: Strong to near gale-force northerly gap winds will start tonight, on Thursday night. The wind speeds eventually will increase to the range of 30 knots to 40 knots during the early morning hours of Friday. Fresh to strong N to NE winds will be elsewhere, reaching as far to the south as 12N97W. A broad and weak ridge extends southeastward, into the offshore waters of Baja California tonight, to near the Revillagigedo Islands. The ridge is in advance of a weak cold front that is moving into the far NW waters of the discussion area. The most recent scatterometer and ship observations were indicating moderate NW winds in the offshore waters of Baja California, and gentle NW winds across the Gulf of California. The latest altimeter data were indicating 3 to 5 ft seas in open waters, and up to 3 ft in the southern Gulf of California. Gentle to moderate winds persist in the Mexican offshore waters south of 20N, with 3 to 5 ft seas. The ridge will weaken during the next few days, in advance of the approaching cold front. The front will move through Baja California Norte and the northern Gulf of California by late Friday/early on Saturday, in order to produce moderate S to SW winds across the northern Gulf of California. For the weekend: the wind speeds will increase during the weekend as high pressure builds across of the area in the wake of the front. The sea heights will reach 8 feet near the Guadalupe Island, and the waters off Baja California Norte by late Sunday. Elsewhere S of Jalisco: generally gentle winds will prevail. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, AND WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR... Fresh to strong NE to E gap winds will prevail across the Papagayo region through the week, pulsing to around 30 kt each night through the weekend. These winds will prevail as far N as the Gulf of Fonseca, with seas up to 9 ft. The Gulf of Panama and south to the equator: fresh N winds will pulse to strong each night into the weekend. Light winds will prevail elsewhere. REMAINDER OF THE AREA... An upper level cyclonic circulation center is near the Equator along 110W. This feature is enhancing the precipitation that is in the tropics, from 01N to 07N between 81W and 95W. This activity is expected to increase in coverage, before shifting slightly eastward, and diminishing later this afternoon. More to the west: weak high pressure north of 30N and just east of the cold front, moving into the NW corner of the area, is supporting gentle to moderate NE winds north of 20N and moderate to fresh trade winds more to the south, into the tropics. Seas are 7 to 9 ft from 06N to 21N west of 120W in a mix of trade wind waves and longer period northerly swell. Seas are 4 to 6 ft elsewhere. The southernmost point of the cold front reaches 30N133W. The front will move eastward, across the waters north of 20N through Saturday. Moderate to fresh northerly wind flow will follow the front north of 20N west of 125W on Thursday and Friday. The sea heights will range from 8 feet to 9 feet in NW swell. High pressure building in the wake of the front will support fresh to strong trades farther south west of 120W Fri through Sun with seas building 8 to 12 ft. Farther east, seas up to 9 ft associated with NE to E swell from the Tehuantepec and Papagayo gap wind areas will push westward across the tropical waters mainly south of 10N toward 110W Fri through the weekend. $$ mt