597  
AXNT20 KNHC 162301  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
0005 UTC WED APR 17 2024  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR NORTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA  
GULF OF MEXICO, CARIBBEAN SEA, NORTHERN SECTIONS OF SOUTH  
AMERICA, AND ATLANTIC OCEAN TO THE AFRICAN COAST FROM THE  
EQUATOR TO 31N. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS BASED ON SATELLITE  
IMAGERY, WEATHER OBSERVATIONS, RADAR AND METEOROLOGICAL ANALYSIS.  
 
BASED ON 1800 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
2200 UTC.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH PASSES THROUGH THE COASTAL BORDER SECTIONS OF  
SIERRA LEONE AND LIBERIA AND ENTERS THE ATLANTIC NEAR 07N11.5W  
EXTENDING TO 03.5N19W. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 03.5N19W TO 01.5S35W  
TO COASTAL BRAZIL NEAR 00.5S49W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED  
STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED SOUTH OF 05N AND BETWEEN 04W AND 26W ,  
AND BETWEEN 37W AND 50W.  
   
..GULF OF MEXICO
 
 
AN ATLANTIC SUBTROPICAL RIDGE PERSISTS OVER THE NE GULF THIS  
AFTERNOON. THE ASSOCIATED PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS RIDGE  
AND LOWER PRESSURES IN MEXICO AND TEXAS IS RESULTING IN FRESH TO  
LOCALLY STRONG E-SE TO SE WINDS WEST OF 85W. SEAS IN THESE WATERS  
ARE 4-7 FT. MODERATE OR WEAKER WINDS AND SLIGHT TO MODERATE SEAS  
PREVAIL IN THE REST OF THE GULF, WITH SEAS TO 5 FT IN THE STRAITS  
OF FLORIDA. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE OBSERVED ACROSS THE TEXAS  
AND SW LOUISIANA COASTAL WATERS, EMBEDDED IN THE RETURN FLOW, WHILE  
TRANQUIL WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE PREVALENT ELSEWHERE.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE  
NE GULF AND COMBINE WITH RELATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE IN THE WESTERN  
GULF TO PRODUCE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PULSING OFF THE NORTHWEST  
YUCATAN PENINSULA DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL NIGHTS. SIMILAR WINDS  
ARE ALSO FORECAST IN THE WESTERN GULF TONIGHT. OTHERWISE,  
MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEK. A  
COLD MAY MOVE INTO THE NW GULF SUN AND SUN NIGHT, FOLLOWED BY  
FRESH NORTHEAST WINDS.  
   
..CARIBBEAN SEA
 
 
A DEEP LAYERED UPPER TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE WESTERN ATLANTIC  
S-SW ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SUPPORTS A SURFACE TROUGH OVER  
HISPANIOLA. THESE FEATURES CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED MODERATE  
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS HISPANIOLA, WHILE A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND A  
FEW THUNDERSTORMS IS PRESENTLY OVER THE NEARSHORE WATERS ALONG  
THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ISLAND. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE  
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE NORTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES AND LOWER  
PRESSURES IN NW COLOMBIA SUPPORT MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS  
ACROSS NW PORTIONS, AND FRESH NE WINDS IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL  
CARIBBEAN. SEAS ARE 3 TO 5 FT ACROSS NW PORTIONS, AND OF 4-6 FT  
ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST PORTIONS. STRONG NE WINDS  
PREVAIL THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE, WHERE SEAS ARE 5 TO 7 FT AND  
BUILDING. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH EASTERLY TRADE WINDS AND SEAS  
OF 3-6 FT ARE OCCURRING.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WILL  
RESULT IN FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG TRADE WINDS PULSING NIGHTLY IN  
THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA THROUGH WED NIGHT. FRESH TO  
OCCASIONALLY STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO PULSE IN THE WINDWARD PASSAGE,  
SOUTH OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND IN THE LEE OF CUBA THROUGH  
EARLY THU, THEN IN THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AT NIGHT THROUGH SUN.  
OTHERWISE, MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS AND MODERATE SEAS CAN  
BE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE BASIN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE  
WEEK, THEN BECOME CONFINED TO MOSTLY THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN  
SECTIONS OF THE BASIN SAT THROUGH SUN NIGHT.  
   
..ATLANTIC OCEAN
 
 
A FRONTAL TROUGH, SUPPORTED BY A DEEP LAYERED UPPER TROUGH,  
EXTENDS FROM 30N63W TO NW HISPANIOLA. ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGHS IS  
EAST OF THERE, FROM NEAR 21N63W TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. ABUNDANT  
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND DIVERGENCE ALOFT TO THE EAST OF THE UPPER  
TROUGH ARE RESULTING IN SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION SOUTH OF 29N  
AND BETWEEN 53W AND THE FRONTAL TROUGH. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH  
NE WINDS ARE WEST OF THIS MAIN TROUGH AND EXTEND INTO THE  
BAHAMAS. SEAS THERE ARE 5 TO 7 FT. TO THE EAST OF THE TROUGH,  
MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY WINDS AND SEAS OF 7-10 FT ARE OCCURRING  
NORTH OF 15N TO 50W. THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN IS UNDER BROAD  
RIDGING, SUPPORTING MAINLY FRESH EASTERLY TRADE WINDS AND 7-9 FT  
SEAS SOUTH OF 20N AND WEST OF 35W.  
 
A BROAD 1009 MB LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PERSISTS SOUTH OF THE AZORES,  
SUSTAINING MODERATE TO FRESH WESTERLY WINDS AND 6-8 FT SEAS NORTH  
OF 28N AND BETWEEN 23W AND 42W. ELSEWHERE, MODERATE OR WEAKER  
WINDS AND SLIGHT TO MODERATE SEAS ARE PRESENT.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST W OF 55W, THE LARGE TROUGH EXTENDING FROM 30N63W  
TO NW HISPANIOLA WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO THE EAST OF IT TONIGHT. THE SUPPORTING  
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SHIFT EASTWARD THROUGH THU, WITH ACTIVE  
WEATHER REMAINING TO THE EAST OF THIS FEATURE. A WEAK LOW  
PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM NEAR 24N57W WED NIGHT AND TRACK  
NORTHEASTWARD. DECAYING NE SWELL ACROSS THE WATERS EST OF 65W TO  
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WILL LINGER THROUGH EARLY WED AFTERNOON. HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE WATERS NORTH OF ABOUT 20N LATER THIS  
WEEK ALLOWING FOR GENERALLY TRANQUIL MARINE CONDITIONS. A COLD  
FRONT MAY MOVE OVER THE WATERS EAST OF NORTHEAST FLORIDA LATE SUN  
NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRECEDE THIS  
FRONT.  
 

 
STRIPLING  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab TPC Page Main Text Page