116  
AXNT20 KNHC 151806  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
1805 UTC FRI NOV 15 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 1200 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
1630 UTC.  
   
..SPECIAL FEATURES
 
 
TROPICAL STORM SARA IS CENTERED NEAR 16.1N 86.1W AT 15/1800 UTC  
OR 30 NM SSW OF ISLA GUANAJA HONDURAS, MOVING W AT 2 KT.  
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 997 MB. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED  
WIND SPEED IS 45 KT WITH GUSTS TO 55 KT. PEAK SEAS ARE ESTIMATED  
TO BE AROUND 14 FT. BANDS OF SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS MODERATE TO  
STRONG CONVECTION EXTEND NW THROUGH E OF SARA, AND COVER THE  
AREA SOUTH OF 20.5N TO HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA, BETWEEN 80W AND  
88W. SIMILAR RAINBANDS ALSO EXTEND TO THE SOUTH AND SOUTHWEST  
ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA AND INTO THE EASTERN TROPICAL PACIFIC. A  
CONTINUED VERY SLOW WESTWARD MOTION ALONG OR NEAR THE NORTH  
COAST OF HONDURAS IS EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH SAT MORNING BEFORE  
SARA BEGINS TO MOVE WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT A SLIGHTLY FASTER  
MOTION SAT NIGHT, THEN APPROACH THE COAST OF BELIZE EARLY SUN.  
SOME MINOR STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF  
DAYS WHEN THE CENTER OF SARA MOVES OVER OPEN WATERS OF THE GULF  
OF HONDURAS. THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK, HEAVY RAINFALL FROM SARA  
WILL CAUSE POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH  
FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES OVER NORTHERN PORTIONS OF HONDURAS.  
ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE REST OF HONDURAS, BELIZE, EL SALVADOR,  
EASTERN GUATEMALA, WESTERN NICARAGUA, AND THE MEXICAN STATE OF  
QUINTANA ROO, HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT AND  
POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES.  
PLEASE READ THE LATEST HIGH SEAS FORECAST ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL  
HURRICANE CENTER AT WEBSITE -  
HTTPS://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TEXT/MIAHSFAT2.SHTML AND THE LATEST  
SARA NHC FORECAST/ADVISORY AND PUBLIC ADVISORY AT  
WWW.HURRICANES.GOV FOR MORE DETAILS.  
 
ATLANTIC GALE WARNING AND A SIGNIFICANT SWELL EVENT: LARGE NW TO N  
SWELL GENERATED BY AN EXTRATROPICAL LOW PRESSURE LOCATED NE OF  
BERMUDA IS PROPAGATING ACROSS THE FORECAST WATERS, PRODUCING  
SEAS OF TO 12 TO 15 FT NORTH OF 26N BETWEEN 48W AND 65W. ROUGH TO  
VERY ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED N OF 26N BETWEEN 45W AND 65W TODAY  
THROUGH TONIGHT, SUBSIDING SAT. MEANWHILE, A NEW COLD FRONT HAS  
ENTERED THE SW N ATLANTIC, AND IS ANCHORED TO A 999 MB SURFACE  
LOW. THE FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N75W TO CENTRAL FLORIDA, WITH FRESH  
TO STRONG NNW TO N WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS S OF 31N BEHIND IT, AND  
GALE TO STORM-FORCE WINDS NORTH OF THE AREA ACROSS THE WESTERN  
SEMICIRCLE OF THE LOW. AS THE LOW AND FRONT MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD,  
GALE-FORCE NW WINDS TO 40 KT ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE S OF 31N THIS  
EVENING, AND SHIFT AS FAR SOUTH AS 28N LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SAT  
MORNING, THEN GRADUALLY LIFT NORTH OF 31N BY SAT EVENING AS THE  
LOW AND COLD FRONT PROGRESS EASTWARD. SEAS IN EXCESS OF 20 FT ARE  
EXPECTED WITH THESE GALE-FORCE WINDS. SOUTHERLY GALES ARE ALSO  
EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN A NARROW 90 NM WIDE BAND EAST OF THE FRONT  
AND N OF 29N TONIGHT THROUGH SAT MORNING. BY SAT MORNING, THE  
FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. BY SUN  
MORNING, THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 30N55W TO NEAR PUERTO RICO,  
BUT WITH ONLY FRESH WINDS N OF 29N BY THEN. VERY ROUGH SEAS OF 10  
FT AND GREATER IN NORTHERLY SWELL WILL FOLLOW THIS FRONT THROUGH  
THE WEEKEND, REACHING AS FAR SOUTH OF 21N IN SUN, BEFORE FADING  
EARLY NEXT WEEK. PLEASE READ THE LATEST HIGH SEAS FORECAST ISSUED  
BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT WEBSITE  
- HTTPS://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TEXT/MIAHSFAT2.SHTML FOR MORE DETAILS.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH EXTENDS ACROSS EQUATORIAL AFRICA AND REACHES  
NEAR THE COAST OF GUINEA NEAR 10.5N13W. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM  
08N16W TO 06N38W TO 10N57W. SCATTERED MODERATE ISOLATED STRONG  
CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 06N TO 09.5N E OF 20W TO THE COAST OF  
AFRICA, AND FROM 09N TO 13.5N BETWEEN 44W AND 56W. SCATTERED  
MODERATE TO STRONG CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 02N TO 09N BETWEEN 20W  
AND 42W.  
   
..GULF OF MEXICO
 
 
A COLD FRONT EXTENDS ACROSS SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA JUST NORTH OF  
LAKE OKEECHOBEE, AND ENTERS THE GULF OF MEXICO NEAR FORT MEYERS,  
THEN EXTENDS SOUTHWESTWARD TO NEAR 19.5N93W THEN WESTWARD TO NEAR  
THE MEXICAN COAST NORTH OF VERACRUZ. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION IS  
NOTED NEAR THE FRONT. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH N TO NE WINDS  
FOLLOW THE FRONT WITH SEAS OF 4 TO 7 FT, EXCEPT 2 TO 3 FT IN THE  
NORTHERN COASTAL WATERS, AND WEST OF 95W. AHEAD OF THE FRONT,  
WINDS HAVE SHIFTED NE TO E AT GENTLE TO MODERATE SPEED, WITH 2 TO  
4 FT SEAS EXCEPT TO 5 FT IN THE FLORIDA CURRENT.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY PROGRESS  
SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE DISSIPATING. MODERATE TO  
LOCALLY FRESH NE WINDS WILL PREVAIL ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT. A  
TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN TROPICAL STORM SARA IN THE  
NW CARIBBEAN AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE IN THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.  
WILL SUPPORT WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO FRESH E WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE  
BASIN, AWAY FROM THE BAY OF CAMPECHE, THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK. SE RETURN FLOW WILL BECOME STRONG OFFSHORE OF TEXAS  
SUN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING  
THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. TROPICAL STORM SARA IS EXPECTED TO  
QUICKLY WEAKEN AS THE SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA THIS  
WEEKEND BEFORE EMERGING INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
LOCALLY STRONG WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS WILL BE POSSIBLE SURROUNDING  
THE REMNANT LOW OF SARA.  
   
..CARIBBEAN SEA
 
 
PLEASE SEE THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION FOR INFORMATION ON  
TROPICAL STORM SARA.  
 
BANDS OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH  
OF THE CARIBBEAN WEST OF 79W IN ASSOCIATION WITH TROPICAL STORM  
SARA AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. ASIDE FROM SARA, LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS  
ARE FOUND EAST OF 75W, WITH MODERATE TO FRESH S TO SW WINDS WEST  
OF 75W. SEAS ARE 3 FT OR LESS EAST OF 75W, EXCEPT 6 TO 8 FT  
THROUGH AND IMMEDIATELY SOUTH OF THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES. A FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY HAS STALLED ALONG THE NORTH COASTS OF THE GREATER  
ANTILLES, AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED  
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE ISLANDS AND WATERS N OF 17.5N.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, TROPICAL STORM SARA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE  
WESTWARD ALONG OR NEAR THE NORTHERN COAST OF HONDURAS THROUGH  
EARLY SATURDAY BEFORE APPROACHING BELIZE, AND ULTIMATELY MOVING  
ONSHORE IN BELIZE DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. AWAY FROM THE DIRECT  
IMPACTS FROM SARA, FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG E TO NE WINDS WILL  
OCCUR OVER THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  
LARGE N SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT TO LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS  
THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES THIS WEEKEND. A STRONG COLD FRONT  
SLATED TO MOVE THROUGH THE WESTERN ATLANTIC THIS WEEKEND WILL  
REINFORCE ROUGH SEAS THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES FOR THE SECOND  
HALF OF THIS WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK. HIGH PRESSURE BEHIND THIS  
COLD FRONT WILL PROMOTE FRESH TO STRONG E TO NE WINDS ON SUN  
THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES AND IN THE LEE OF CUBA, CONTINUING  
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
   
..ATLANTIC OCEAN
 
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION ABOVE FOR MORE  
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ONGOING SWELL EVENT OVER THE ATLANTIC AND  
AN UPCOMING GALE WARNING ASSOCIATED WITH A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT  
ENTERING THE SW N ATLANTIC.  
 
A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N47W TO 20N57W THEN BECOMES STATIONARY  
ACROSS THE NORTH ENTRANCE TO THE ANEGADA PASSAGE, THEN WESTWARD  
ALONG THE NORTH COASTS OF PUERTO RICO, HISPANIOLA, AND NE AND  
CENTRAL CUBA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE  
WITHIN 180 NM EAST OF THE COLD FRONT, WHILE SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE  
ALONG AND WITHIN 120 NM NORTH OF THE STATIONARY FRONT. MODERATE TO  
FRESH S TO SW WINDS ARE NOTED NORTH OF 24N WITHIN 180-240 NM  
AHEAD OF THE FRONT, WHERE SEAS ARE 8 TO 10 FT. A 1014 MB HIGH IS  
CENTERED NW OF THE FRONT NEAR 25N65W, PRODUCING MAINLY GENTLE TO  
MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC WINDS WEST OF THE FRONT AND AWAY FROM THE  
NEW FRONT JUST OFFSHORE OF THE SE UNITED STATES. AHEAD OF THE NEW  
COLD FRONT OFF OF FLORIDA, FRESH TO STRONG W TO SW DOMINATE THE  
WATERS NORTH OF 28N AND WEST OF 70W, WHERE SEAS ARE 6-9 FT.  
GENTLE TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC WINDS DOMINATE THE WATERS EAST OF  
THE FRONT AND EXTEND INTO THE TRADE WIND ZONE. ANOTHER COLD FRONT  
EXTENDS FROM THE CANARY ISLANDS TO 25N21W THEN BECOMES A FRONTAL  
TROUGH TO 29N37W. SEAS OF 7 TO 10 FT IN NE SWELL ARE NORTH OF THE  
FRONT. SEAS ARE 5 TO 7 FT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE OPEN WATERS  
EAST OF THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC FRONT, EXCEPT 6 TO 8 FT FROM 14N TO  
22N BETWEEN AFRICA AND 22W DUE TO A FETCH OF LOCALLY FRESH WINDS  
THERE COMBINED WITH NW SWELL.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST WEST OF 55W, THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDING  
ALONG THE NORTH COASTS OF THE GREATER ANTILLES WILL PROGRESS  
SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THIS EVENING BEFORE DISSIPATING. LARGE N  
SWELL BEHIND THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ROUGH TO VERY  
ROUGH SEAS BEFORE SUBSIDING INTO EARLY SAT. A SIGNIFICANT COLD  
FRONT MOVING INTO THE NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC WATERS AND FLORIDA WILL  
PROGRESS QUICKLY TOWARD THE EAST=SOUTHEAST THROUGH SAT, WITH  
STRONG TO GALE-FORCE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT FOR AREAS NORTH OF  
26.5N AND EAST 79.5W, WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRING NORTH OF  
29.5N TONIGHT INTO SAT. BY SAT MORNING, THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM  
NEAR BERMUDA TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. BY SUN MORNING, THE FRONT  
WILL REACH FROM 30N55W TO NEAR PUERTO RICO, BUT WITH ONLY FRESH  
WINDS N OF 29N BY THEN. VERY ROUGH SEAS IN LARGE NORTHERLY SWELL  
WILL FOLLOW THIS SECOND FRONT THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH VERY HIGH  
SEAS IN EXCESS OF 20 FT POSSIBLE NORTH OF 29N BETWEEN 65W AND 75W  
ON SAT. ROUGH SEAS WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WATERS  
INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A REINFORCING FRONT OR TROUGH MAY CLIP THE  
NE WATERS TUE AND TUE NIGHT WITH INCREASING WINDS AND BUILDING  
SEAS.  
 

 
 
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