000 AXPZ20 KNHC 032204 TWDEP Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 2027 UTC Tue Mar 3 2020 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 2045 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... A gale force Tehuantepec gap wind is likely to begin Thu evening and run until around sunrise Sun as a strong cold front crosses the Gulf of Mexico. Winds and seas will peak on Fri, when gales of around 40 kt generate seas up to 19 ft. The area of 8 ft seas will combine with the area of 8 ft seas generated downstream from the Gulf of Papagayo Fri night through Mon. The area of 8 ft seas will propagate as far W as 120W by Mon evening. Please read the latest High Seas Forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center under AWIPS/WMO headers FZPN03 KNHC/HSFEP2 or at website https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFEP2.shtml for further details. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... A surface trough extends from 08N81W to 05N89W. The ITCZ continues 05N89W to 04N101W to 05N110W to 02N131W to beyond 03N140W. No significant convection is observed. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO... A 1007 mb low pressure centered over NW Sonora will move E and weaken tonight. The associated cold front that extends SW from the Mouth of the Gulf of California and across the Revillagigedo Islands to 15N121W. The front will also weaken and dissipate tonight as it moves SE toward Las Tres Marias. Fresh to locally strong winds behind this front over Pacific waters offshore Baja California will diminish this evening. NW swell behind the front is maintaining seas of 8 to 13 ft W of Baja. The swell will decay through Thu night, with seas falling below 8 ft Wed. Looking ahead, winds over the northern Gulf are forecast to become southerly and increase to fresh to strong this weekend. For more on the upcoming gale force gap wind event over the Gulf of Tehuantepec, please refer to the Special Features Section. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, AND WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR... Gulf of Papagayo: Fresh to locally strong offshore winds will occasionally pulse in the Papagayo region through much of the week, strengthening by the end of the week into the weekend, with seas occasionally building to 8 to 9 ft. Gulf of Panama: Moderate to fresh winds are expected through Fri, strengthening this weekend with seas to 8 ft. REMAINDER OF THE AREA... Strong 1039 mb high pressure centered near 37N141W is supporting a broad area of fresh to strong winds N of 05N and W of 120W, along with seas of 8 to 12 ft. The ridge will be weakened by low pres approaching from the N during the next few days. Winds and seas in this region will gradually decrease accordingly. Farther east in the deep tropics, fresh trade winds along with swell originating from likely gap winds in the Gulfs of Tehuantepec and Papagayo will develop at the end of the week. Looking ahead, another front is expected to move into the waters north of 25N west of 130W Fri, followed by fresh northerly winds and northerly swell to 8 ft. $$ CAM