400  
AXPZ20 KNHC 170936  
TWDEP  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
845 UTC THU MAY 17 2018  
 
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  
0930 UTC.  
   
..INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH
 
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS REACHES FROM 11N85W TO 1010 MB LOW  
PRESSURE NEAR 11N119W TO 06N130W. THE INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE  
ZONE CONTINUES FROM 06N130W TO BEYOND 02N140W. SCATTERED MODERATE  
CONVECTION IS NOTED WITHIN 120 NM IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF  
THE LOW PRESSURE, AS WELL AS FROM 04N TO 09N BETWEEN 115W AND  
120W. SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTION IS ALSO  
NOTED FROM 05N TO 10N BETWEEN 93W AND 100W.  
   
..DISCUSSION
 
 
OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO...  
 
OFF BAJA CALIFORNIA, RECENT SHIP OBSERVATIONS AND A SCATTEROMETER  
PASS FROM 04 UTC INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS,  
BETWEEN 1022 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED WEST OF THE AREA AND LOWER  
PRESSURE OVER NORTHWEST MEXICO. CONCURRENT ALTIMETER SATELLITE  
DATA SHOWED SEAS ROUGHLY 5 TO 6 FT. AN UPPER TROUGH IS MOVING  
INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND WILL CLIP BAJA CALIFORNIA NORTE AND  
THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN  
ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH, OR EVEN A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY, WILL  
DEVELOP NORTH OF THE AREA TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS THE REGION NORTH  
OF 28N LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS WILL SUPPORT PULSES TO 25  
KT NORTH OF CABO SAN LAZARO TONIGHT THROUGH FRI. SEAS WILL REACH  
8 FT WITH THE STRONG WINDS AND A COMPONENT OF LONG PERIOD SW  
SWELL. LOOKING AHEAD, FRESH NW FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE  
REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.  
 
FOR THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA, MODERATE NW FLOW WITH 2 TO 4 FT SEAS  
WILL PERSIST THROUGH LATE TODAY. FRESH TO STRONG WESTERLY GAP  
WINDS WILL PULSE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF CALIFORNIA TONIGHT IN  
THE WAKE OF A WEAK TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. LITTLE  
CHANGE IS ANTICIPATED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD.  
 
FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE COAST OF MEXICO, WEAK  
NORTHERLY FLOW IS NOTED. SEAS ARE 5 TO 7 FT WITH A COMPONENT OF  
SW SWELL. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM ARE ACTIVE WELL TO THE SOUTH  
OF THE GULF OF TEHUANTEPEC BEYOND 250 NM ALONG THE MONSOON TROUGH.  
THIS ACTIVITY WILL PERSIST ON AND OFF THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK  
AND MAY DRIFT NORTHWARD AS THE MONSOON TROUGH BREAKS WITH  
MODERATE SW FLOW.  
 
OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA, AND  
WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR...  
 
GULF OF PAPAGAYO: LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS WILL DOMINATE THE GULF  
THE ENTIRE FORECAST PERIOD AS WEAK PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS  
CENTRAL AMERICA. SEAS OF 4-7 FT ARE FORECAST OVER THE GULF AND  
NEARBY WATERS THROUGH TUE.  
 
GULF OF PANAMA: GENTLE TO MODERATE S TO SW WINDS ARE FORECAST  
THROUGH TUE WITH SEAS OF 4-6 FT IN LONG PERIOD SW SWELL,  
BUILDING TO 5-7 FT ON MON AS THE SWELL REACHES THE COASTS OF  
PANAMA AND COLOMBIA. EXPECT INCREASING WAVE ACTION ALONG THOSE  
COASTS.  
 
ELSEWHERE, GENTLE TO MODERATE SW WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO THE SOUTH  
OF THE MONSOON TROUGH WITH LIGHT TO GENTLE VARIABLE WINDS NORTH  
OF TROUGH AS A WEAK PRESSURE PATTERN REMAINS OVER CENTRAL  
AMERICA. SEAS ARE FORECAST TO BUILD TO 6-7 FT IN LONG PERIOD SW  
SWELL BETWEEN ECUADOR AND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS TONIGHT AND  
CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WAVE MODE GUIDANCE INDICATES  
THAT THESE SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8 FT ON MON AND WILL SUBSIDE TUE.  
 
REMAINDER OF THE AREA...  
 
A 1022 MB HIGH IS CENTERED NEAR 28N128W, WITH A RIDGE AXIS  
EXTENDING SOUTHEASTWARD TO NEAR THE REVILLAGIGEDO ISLANDS.  
FARTHER SOUTH, 1010 MB LOW PRESSURE IS CENTERED ALONG THE  
MONSOON TROUGH NEAR 12N119W. SCATTERED MODERATE SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOTED WITHIN 120 NM IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT  
OF THE LOW PRESSURE, AND IN CONVERGENT SW FLOW SOUTH OF THE  
MONSOON TROUGH FROM 04N TO 09N BETWEEN 115W AND 120W. GENTLE TO  
MODERATE NORTHERLY BREEZES ARE NOTED NORTH OF 20N WITHIN THE  
RIDGE, AND MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS FARTHER SOUTH TO THE  
MONSOON TROUGH. STRONGER GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE CONVECTION  
NEAR THE LOW PRESSURE. A SERIES OF RECENT ALTIMETER SATELLITE  
PASSES INDICATE SEAS ARE REACHING 7 TO 9 FT IN THE AREA OF FRESH  
TRADES, ASSISTED BY LONGER PERIOD SW SWELL. FARTHER SOUTH,  
ADDITIONAL ALTIMETER PASSES SHOWED SEAS 7 TO 8 FT IN A NEW GROUP  
OF SW SWELL REACHING THE EQUATOR.  
 

 
CHRISTENSEN  
 
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