681  
AXNT20 KNHC 082338  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
0015 UTC THU JAN 9 2025  
 
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  
2100 UTC.  
   
..SPECIAL FEATURES  
 
ATLANTIC GALE WARNING: A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N50W TO NEAR  
THE EASTERN TIP OF CUBA AND THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. EARLIER GALE-  
FORCE WINDS AHEAD OF THE FAR NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FRONT HAVE  
RECENTLY DIMINISHING TO 20-30 KT, WITH FRESH TO STRONG SW WINDS  
ELSEWHERE NORTH OF 26N WITHIN 300-600 NM AHEAD OF THE FRONT, WHILE  
FRESH TO STRONG W-NW WINDS ARE NORTH OF 30N AND WEST OF THE FRONT  
TO 60W. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN AND EVENTUALLY STALL FROM  
NEAR 31N43W TO NEAR THE MONA PASSAGE EARLY THU AFTERNOON, WHILE A  
REINFORCING FRONT DIVES SOUTH OF 31N, EXTENDING FROM NEAR BERMUDA  
TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THEN. GALE-FORCE WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS  
REINFORCING FRONT, ACROSS THE WATERS NORTH OF 28N AND EAST OF 70W  
ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT. THE REINFORCING FRONT WILL QUICKLY  
REACH FROM 31N45W TO NEAR PUERTO RICO BY FRI AFTERNOON WITH GALES  
CONTINUING ON EITHER SIDE, WITH THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED GALES  
FINALLY WEAKENING/DIMINISHING BY SAT AFTERNOON AS IT EXTENDS FROM  
31N35W TO NEAR THE NE CARIBBEAN SEA. LOOKING AHEAD, YET ANOTHER  
FRONT MAY MOVE OFF THE SE UNITED STATES LATE FRI NIGHT/EARLY SAT  
WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF GALE-FORCE WINDS POSSIBLE AHEAD OF IT. THOSE  
GALE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO PUSH EASTWARD WITH THE FRONT THROUGH  
THE WEEKEND, MAINLY NORTH OF 29N.  
 
GULF OF MEXICO GALE WARNING: A FRONTAL LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED  
TO MOVE OFF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS INTO THE NORTHWESTERN GULF LATE THU  
AFTERNOON OR EARLY THU EVENING, AND THEN INTENSIFY THROUGH FRI.  
THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING STRONG TO GALE-FORCE WINDS FOR  
THE NORTHWESTERN GULF THU NIGHT THROUGH FRI, AND FRESH TO STRONG  
WINDS ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF FRI THROUGH  
SAT. SEAS IN THESE AREAS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE ROUGH TO VERY  
ROUGH. IN ADDITION, THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL  
PRODUCE STRONG TO NEAR-GALE FORCE NW TO N WINDS AND VERY ROUGH  
SEAS OVER THE WEST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN GULF FRI THROUGH SAT.  
WINDS NEAR TAMPICO AND VERACRUZ MIGHT REACH GALE-FORCE.  
 
ATLANTIC SIGNIFICANT SWELL EVENT: LARGE LONG-PERIOD NORTHWEST SWELL  
WITH WAVE PERIODS OF 14 TO 16 SECONDS CONTINUES TO PROPAGATE  
ACROSS THE CENTRAL SUBTROPICAL ATLANTIC. AN OLD, LEADING SET OF NW  
SWELL SUPPORTS SEAS OF 12 TO 14 FT NORTH OF 20N BETWEEN 20W AND  
40W, WHILE A REINFORCING SET IS ACROSS THE WATERS NORTH OF 27N  
BETWEEN 40W AND 70W WITH SEAS OF 12 TO 18 FT, HIGHEST ALONG 31N  
BETWEEN 47W AND 55W. THE LEADING SET OF NW SWELL WILL DECAY TO  
LESS THAN 12 FT BY EARLY THU WHILE THE REINFORCING SET CONTINUES  
TO SWELL ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL WATERS. YET ANOTHER SET OF  
REINFORCING SWELL WILL QUICKLY MOVE IN THU AND THU NIGHT, WITH  
SEAS OF 12 FT OR GREATER NORTH OF 25N AND EAST OF 76W BY THU  
EVENING, UP TO 20 FT NEAR 31N57W. BY FRI EVENING, SEAS OF 12 FT OR  
GREATER WILL COVER THE MAJORITY OF THE WATERS NORTH OF 21N BETWEEN  
33W AND 71W, WITH 20 TO 23 FT SEAS NORTH OF 39N BETWEEN 48W AND  
63W BY THEN. SEAS OF 12 FT OR GREATER ARE FORECAST TO CONTINUE  
SPREADING SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH AT LEAST THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.  
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST NWS HIGH SEAS FORECAST ISSUED BY THE  
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT THE WEBSITE:  
HTTPS://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TEXT/MIAHSFAT2.SHTML, FOR MORE DETAILS ON  
THE AREAS ABOVE.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ  
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS REMAINS INLAND OVER AFRICA. THE ITCZ  
PASSES THROUGH THE COAST OF LIBERIA NEAR 06N11W AND CONTINUES  
TO 02N20W TO NEAR 01S36W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS WITHIN  
120 NM SOUTHEAST OF THE ITCZ, AND WITHIN 120 NM NORTHWEST OF THE  
ITCZ WEST OF 17W.  
 
GULF OF MEXICO...  
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION ABOVE FOR DETAILS ON  
A GALE WARNING THAT IS IN PLACE FOR MOST OF THE NORTHERN GULF  
WATERS.  
 
FRESH TO NEAR GALE-FORCE NORTHERLY WINDS ARE NOTED OVER THE FAR  
WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE GULF DUE TO A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT  
BETWEEN STRONG HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING OVER EASTERN MEXICO AND  
TROUGHING PRESENT IN THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF. SEAS WITH THESE WINDS  
ARE 7 TO 11 FT. MODERATE TO FRESH N-NE WINDS ARE PRESENT ACROSS  
THE REST OF THE GULF AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD OVER THE  
REGION. SEAS WITH THESE WINDS ARE GENERALLY 3 TO 6 FT.  
 
SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS OVERCAST MOSTLY LOW AND MID-LEVEL  
CLOUDS, WITH EMBEDDED PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN AND DRIZZLE BLANKET  
JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE WESTERN GULF.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, FRESH TO STRONG N TO NW WINDS WILL PERSIST  
ACROSS THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE GULF UNTIL THU MORNING. ELSEWHERE  
IN THE GULF, HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE MODERATE TO  
FRESH N TO NE WINDS THROUGH THU. A FRONTAL LOW PRESSURE IS  
EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS INTO THE NORTHWESTERN GULF  
LATE THU AFTERNOON OR EARLY THU EVENING, AND THEN INTENSIFY  
THROUGH FRI. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING STRONG TO GALE-FORCE  
WINDS FOR THE NORTHWESTERN GULF THU NIGHT THROUGH FRI, AND FRESH  
TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE NORTH-CENTRAL AND NORTHEASTERN GULF FRI  
THROUGH SAT. SEAS IN THESE AREAS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE ROUGH TO  
VERY ROUGH. IN ADDITION, THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW  
WILL PRODUCE STRONG TO NEAR-GALE FORCE NW TO N WINDS AND VERY  
ROUGH SEAS OVER THE WEST-CENTRAL AND SOUTHWESTERN GULF FRI THROUGH  
SAT. WINDS NEAR TAMPICO AND VERACRUZ MIGHT REACH GALE-FORCE.  
 
CARIBBEAN SEA...  
 
A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT STRETCHES FROM THE EASTERN TIP OF  
CUBA AND JUST WEST OF THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
THE NW CARIBBEAN TO NEAR THE GULF OF HONDURAS AT 16.5N87W.  
MODERATE TO FRESH NE WINDS ARE WEST OF THIS BOUNDARY, WITH SIMILAR  
WINDS FOUND NEAR AND DOWNWIND OF THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. SEAS ARE 5  
TO 7 FT SOUTH OF 20N AND WEST OF THE BOUNDARY, AS WELL AS NEAR THE  
YUCATAN CHANNEL. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG WINDS ARE OBSERVED  
OFFSHORE NW COLOMBIA AND OFFSHORE NICARAGUA DUE TO LOCALLY TIGHT  
PRESSURE GRADIENTS, WITH SEAS OF 5 TO 8 FT ACROSS BOTH LOCAL  
AREAS. MAINLY GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADES ARE OVER THE REMAINDER OF  
THE BASIN, ALONG WITH 3 TO 5 FT SEAS.  
 
A SURFACE TO LOW-LEVEL TROUGH IS ANALYZED IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN  
FROM 17N66W TO NEAR 12N67W. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES  
BROKEN TO SCATTERED TO LOW CLOUDS FROM 13N TO 18N BETWEEN 64W AND  
70W. SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE  
CLOUDS.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE STATIONARY FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN  
AND THEN DISSIPATE LATER TONIGHT. IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT, A  
SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING SOUTHWARD FROM THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO  
SHOULD SUSTAIN MODERATE TO FRESH N TO NE WINDS AND MODERATE TO  
ROUGH SEAS ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN THROUGH EARLY FRI MORNING.  
AFTERWARD, THIS HIGH IS GOING TO BUILD EASTWARD INTO THE WESTERN  
ATLANTIC THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK, CAUSING THESE WINDS AND SEAS TO  
ALSO SHIFT EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. IN ADDITION, WINDS  
AT THE SOUTH-CENTRAL BASIN WILL PULSE TO STRONG OCCASIONALLY  
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
ATLANTIC OCEAN...  
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE SPECIAL FEATURES SECTION ABOVE FOR INFORMATION  
ON THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF GALE-FORCE WINDS OVER  
PRIMARILY THE NORTHERLY WATERS THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, AND  
ON AN ASSOCIATED SIGNIFICANT SWELL EVENT IMPACTING A LARGE  
PORTION OF THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN WATERS.  
 
THE COLD FRONT DISCUSSED ABOVE FROM 31N50W TO NEAR THE EASTERN  
TIP OF CUBA AND THE WINDWARD PASSAGE, HAS MAINLY GENTLE TO  
MODERATE WINDS ELSEWHERE WEST OF IT UNDER A BROAD RIDGE OF HIGH  
PRESSURE. SEAS OF 8 FT OR GREATER ARE NORTH OF 24N AND EAST OF  
75W, WITH 4 TO 7 FT SEAS SOUTH AND WEST OF THERE TO THE COAST  
INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS. TO THE EAST OF THE FRONT, A RIDGE DOMINATES  
THE OPEN WATERS STRETCHING FROM NEAR THE CANARY ISLANDS  
SOUTHWESTWARD TO JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO. LIGHT TO GENTLE  
ANTICYCLONIC WINDS ARE FOUND RIGHT UNDER THE RIDGE, WITH MAINLY  
MODERATE NE-E WINDS TO SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH OF IT. SEAS ARE MAINLY  
4 TO 7 FT SOUTH OF 23N AND WEST OF 57W, AS WELL AS FROM THE CABO  
VERDE ISLANDS SOUTHEASTWARD, AND 8 FT OR GREATER ACROSS THE  
REMAINDER OF THE OPEN WATERS.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST WEST OF 55W, FRESH TO STRONG SW WINDS WILL  
PERSIST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT MAINLY NORTH OF 27N THROUGH  
TONIGHT. MEANWHILE, LARGE LONG-PERIOD NW SWELL WILL SUSTAIN VERY  
ROUGH TO HIGH SEAS ACROSS THE WATERS NORTH OF 26N THROUGH THU  
MORNING. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING STRONG TO  
GALE-FORCE W TO NW WINDS NORTH OF 27N AND EAST OF 70W THU  
AFTERNOON THROUGH SAT. THIS WILL ALSO PROLONG VERY ROUGH TO HIGH  
SEAS IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ATLANTIC THROUGH THE WEEKEND. IN  
THE LONG TERM, A THIRD FRONTAL SYSTEM THIS WEEKEND COULD BRING YET  
ANOTHER ROUND OF INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS EAST OF FLORIDA AND  
NORTHEAST OF THE BAHAMAS.  
 
 
LEWITSKY  
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