000 AXPZ20 KNHC 191559 TWDEP Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1605 UTC Fri Feb 19 2021 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 1545 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... Gulf of Tehuantepec Gale Warning: Very strong high pressure building southward along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Mountains is resulting in strong Gulf of Tehuantepec gap winds These winds are producing wave heights in the range of 12-19 ft. It is possible that these winds, may at times, briefly attain wind gusts to storm force today through tonight before they begin to begin to diminish Sat and Sat night. Wave heights are forecast to build to the range of 14-22 ft tonight into Sat. By early Sun, north to northeast winds across the Gulf of Tehuantepec are expected to be just below gale force, with wave heights of about 10-13 ft. Mariners planning to navigate across or near the Gulf of Tehuantepec through late Sat morning should be aware of this significant wind event as it could lead to hazardous marine conditions. Large seas generated from this strong Gulf of Tehuantepec gap wind event will spread well away from the Tehuantepec area, with seas 8 ft or greater reaching 107W by Sun. Please read the latest NWS high seas forecast issued at the National Hurricane Center at website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFEP2.shtml for more details. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... A surface trough extends from a 1010 mb low over northwestern Colombia southwestward to across the border between Costa Rica and Panama to 09N84W to 04N91W and to 03N108W, where latest scatterometer data indicates that it transitions to the ITCZ to 06N117W to 06N127W and to beyond 04N140W. Scattered moderate convection is seen from 05N to 12N between 115W-125W. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO... Please see above for more information on the ongoing Gulf of Tehuantepec gale warning. Winds will diminish below gale force early Sun. However, winds are expected to reach gale force again early next week. Overnight scatterometer data revealed moderate to fresh northwest winds west of the Baja California Peninsula along with waves of 8-9 ft. These winds will diminish to mainly moderate speeds by this evening, with wave heights lowering to less than 8 ft. Fresh to strong winds are over the central and southern Gulf of California. These winds will diminish to light to gentle speeds early on Sat, but are expected to materialize over just about the entire Gulf from Sun through Mon night. These winds could funnel through the Baja California passages into the Pacific waters at times. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, and WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR... Winds will pulse to fresh to strong in the Gulf of Papagayo region each night during the next several days. Winds will pulse to fresh to locally strong Sat night through Mon night in the Gulf of Panama. Light to gentle winds will prevail elsewhere. Large seas generated by a strong winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec will propagate through the offshore waters of Guatemala and El Salvador through early Sun. REMAINDER OF THE AREA... The combination of very strong high pressure of 1035 mb north of the area and lower pressures near the ITCZ is supporting moderate to fresh trade winds across the deep tropics west of 120W. Strong high pressure will build north of the area this weekend, causing strong trades and higher seas across much of the area west of 120W Sun and Mon. Northwest swell continues to subside over the area. More northerly swell will arrive on Sun, and continue through early next week. $$ Aguirre