000 AXPZ20 KNHC 030843 TWDEP Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 1005 UTC Mon Jan 3 2022 Tropical Weather Discussion for the eastern Pacific Ocean from 03.4S to 30N, east of 120W including the Gulf of California, and from the Equator to 30N, between 120W and 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 0830 UTC. ...SPECIAL FEATURES... Gulf of Tehuantepec gale warning: Strong gales and seas as high as 18 ft will persist across the Gulf of Tehuantepec through Tue morning. Strong high pressure is building behind a cold front that moved through the western Gulf of Mexico southern Mexico Sun night. The resulting tightening pressure gradient along with cold, dry air following the front is combining to deliver gap winds reaching strong gale force with gusts to near storm force across the Gulf of Tehuantepec through Tue morning. Peak seas will build 16-18 ft offshore today before winds start to diminish below gale force Tue. The strong gales will generate a large plume of swell in excess of 8 ft extending as far as 700 nm downstream from the Gulf of Tehuantepec through mid week. For further details, please see the latest NWS High Seas Forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center, at the website: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFEP2.shtml. ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH... The monsoon trough extends from 09N79W to 06N95W. Segments of the ITCZ extend from 06N95W to 08.5N11W to 09N128W, and from 09N132W to beyond 08N140W. Scattered moderate isolated strong convection is noted from 12N to 15N between 128W and 131W. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO Strong 1041 high pressure centered north of the area over the Great Basin is supporting fresh to strong winds over the full length of the Gulf of California, as verified by a 05 UTC scatterometer satellite pass. Seas are likely 3 to 5 ft in the northern Gulf of California, and 5 to 8 ft in the central and southern Gulf of California. Seas are 5 to 7 ft elsewhere over open waters north of 20N. Farther south, gentle NW winds and 3 to 5 ft are noted elsewhere south of 20N. For the forecast, strong gales will persist across the Gulf of Tehuantepec region into Tue morning, spreading large NE swell well beyond the outer offshore waters. Farther north, high pressure north of the area over the Great Basin will continue to support fresh to strong northerly winds across mainly the central Gulf of California through this morning, with fresh NW winds persisting over the central Gulf of California through Thu. Looking ahead, fresh to strong gap winds are possible again over the Gulf of Tehuantepec by Fri night as another cold front moves across the western Gulf of Mexico and through southern Mexico. OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, and WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR Moderate to fresh E gap winds prevail over the Gulf of Papagayo region and extend offshore to near 90W, with light to gentle winds elsewhere north of the monsoon trough. A recent scatterometer satellite pass showed moderate to fresh NW to N winds over the northern Gulf of Panama, with gentle to moderate winds farther south and over the remainder of the waters south of the monsoon trough. Seas are in the 5-7 range across the Gulf of Papagayo, and 3-5 ft across the rest of the forecast waters. For the forecast, fresh to strong winds will pulse into the Gulf of Papagayo through Wed morning. Light to gentle winds will occur elsewhere north of the monsoon trough, with gentle to moderate winds elsewhere south of the monsoon trough. A strong gale-force gap wind event across the Tehuantepec region will generate large NW swell to impact the Guatemala and El Salvador offshore waters late today through Tue night. Looking ahead, fresh to strong gap winds may again pulse across the Gulf of Papagayo by Fri. REMAINDER OF THE AREA 1024 mb high pressure is centered near 31N128W. A trough is analyzed near 132W, near an area of showers and thunderstorms reaching from 12N to 15N between 128W and 131W. The surface trough along with the shower and thunderstorm activity is supported by an upper trough reaching from 20N135W to 13N130W. Scatterometer satellite passes from around 06 UTC showed fresh to strong winds between the trough and the high pressure, specifically from 09N and 12N between 130W and 132W. A slightly earlier altimeter pass showed 8 to 10 ft seas in this area as well. Elsewhere, gentle to moderate NE to E winds are evident north of 10N, with gentle to moderate SE to S winds elsewhere south of 10N, with 4 to 6 ft seas. For the forecast, high pressure will continue to support a broad area of fresh to locally strong trade winds from 10N to 25N and west of 120W through mid week, as the current surface trough moves westward across the tropics. Additional northerly swell in excess of 8 ft will enter the waters north of 25N west of 125W tonight and Tue, and reinforce the earlier swell to create 8 to 11 ft seas over much of the area north of a line from Los Cabos to 05N140W by mid week. Farther east, swell generated from the gale event in the Gulf of Tehuantepec will bring mixed swell in excess of 8 ft east of 110W from 06N to 13N from late Mon into Wed. $$ Christensen