182  
AXNT20 KNHC 172326  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
0015 UTC SAT JAN 18 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  
2300 UTC.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ  
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS REACHES THE ATLANTIC WATERS THROUGH THE  
COAST OF LIBERIA NEAR 06N10W AND CONTINUES SOUTHWESTWARD TO  
01N26W. THE ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 01N26W TO THE COAST OF NE BRAZIL  
NEAR 01N50W. SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTION IS NOTED FROM 02N TO  
05N BETWEEN 45W AND 51W.  
   
..GULF OF MEXICO  
 
LOW PRESSURE OF 1017 MB IS ANALYZED OVER THE FAR SE GULF NEAR  
23.5N84W, WITH A WARM FRONT, THEN STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING  
NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE FLORIDA KEYS AND SOUTH FLORIDA. A COLD  
FRONT STRETCHES FROM THE LOW CENTER SOUTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE NW  
CARIBBEAN. PATCHES OF LIGHT RAIN AND SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE  
ASSOCIATED WITH THESE FEATURES AFFECTING THE SE GULF, SOUTH  
FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS. THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN IS  
UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A RIDGE, WITH A 1017 MB HIGH PRESSURE  
CENTER LOCATED NEAR THE FLORIDA/GEORGIA BORDER. MODERATE TO  
LOCALLY FRESH SE TO S WINDS ARE NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA OVER  
THE WESTERN GULF, PARTICULARLY N OF 24N AND W OF 94W. SIMILAR  
WIND SPEEDS ARE OCCURRING OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL GULF, AND IN THE  
VICINITY OF THE LOW AND FRONTS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 4 TO 6 FT,  
EXCEPT 1 TO 3 FT IN THE NE GULF.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, THE MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH NE WINDS,  
SURROUNDING THE LOW IN THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO, WILL  
DIMINISH THIS EVENING. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH SE TO SW WINDS  
WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH SAT ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN AND WESTERN GULF AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTHWARD, AHEAD  
OF DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES. A  
COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED LOW IS EXPECTED TO  
ENTER THE NORTHWESTERN BASIN SAT NIGHT, AND FRESH N WINDS WILL  
FOLLOW THE FRONT. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO STRONG SPEEDS BY EARLY  
SUN AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE FRONT AND  
BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. NEAR-GALE FORCE  
WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON SUN OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OFFSHORE  
OF TAMPICO AND VERACRUZ. ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY  
THE WINDS. LOOKING AHEAD, A VERY STRONG COLD FRONT IS SLATED TO  
MOVE INTO THE NORTHWESTERN GULF EARLY NEXT WEEK, LEADING TO  
STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE BASIN. WINDS  
MAY REACH GALE FORCE IN PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN  
GULF. ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE WINDS.  
   
..CARIBBEAN SEA  
 
SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATE THAT THE SHEAR LINE THAT EXTENDS FROM  
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS TO THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA NEAR  
12N80W CONTINUES TO PRODUCE SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH ISOLATED  
THUNDERSTORMS. PATCHES OF LOW LEVEL CLOUDS, WITH EMBEDDED SHOWERS  
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO MOVING ACROSS THE LESSER  
ANTILLES INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN, MORE CONCENTRATED NEAR THE  
ABC ISLANDS. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, A COLD FRONT IS OVER THE NW  
CARIBBEAN REACHING THE GULF OF HONDURAS. FRESH TO STRONG NE  
WINDS ARE N OF THE SHEAR LINE, AND NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA.  
SEAS IN THESE WATERS ARE 6 TO 8 FT. ELSEWHERE, MODERATE OR WEAKER  
WINDS AND SLIGHT TO MODERATE SEAS REMAIN IN PLACE.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO FRESH NE TO E WINDS  
WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN, CENTRAL AND EASTERN  
CARIBBEAN THIS WEEKEND, WITH LOCALLY STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING EACH  
NIGHT OFFSHORE OF COLOMBIA, THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES AND  
DOWNWIND OF HISPANIOLA. LOCALLY ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED NEAR  
STRONG WINDS. A LONG-PERIOD E SWELL WILL PROMOTE ROUGH SEAS  
THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES TONIGHT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT  
WEEK. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG SE TO E WINDS WILL DEVELOP SAT  
NIGHT IN THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING  
SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. LOOKING AHEAD, FRESH TO  
STRONG E WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS WILL OCCUR OVER MUCH OF THE  
BASIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AHEAD OF THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT  
APPROACHING THE NORTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN.  
   
..ATLANTIC OCEAN  
 
A WEAK RIDGE DOMINATES THE WESTERN ATLANTIC WHERE A GENTLE TO  
MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW IS OBSERVED. TO THE EAST, A COUPLE OF  
WEAKENING COLD FRONT ARE NOTED. THE MAIN FRONT EXTENDS FROM  
31N34W TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WHERE IT BECOMES A SHEAR LINE.  
FRESH TO STRONG WEST WINDS ARE NORTH OF 28N BETWEEN 55W AND 70W.  
SEAS ARE 8 TO 11 FT WITH THESE WINDS. SEAS IN EXCESS OF 8 FT  
COVER THE WATERS E OF 60W AND TO THE NORTHWEST OF A LINE FROM  
28N35W TO 23N46W TO 19N60W, AND ALSO N OF 28N BETWEEN 60W AND  
74W. HIGH PRESSURE PRESENT OVER THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL ATLANTIC  
IS ALLOWING FOR GENERALLY MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES TO EXIST IN  
THE TROPICAL REGION SOUTH OF ABOUT 20N AND EAST OF THE LESSER  
ANTILLES. IN FACT, SATELLITE DERIVED WIND DATA SHOW AN AREA OF  
FRESH TO LOCALLY TRADES BETWEEN THE W COAST OF AFRICA AND THE  
CABO VERDE ISLANDS. SEAS WITH THESE TRADES ARE 5 TO 8 FT.  
MODERATE OR WEAKER WINDS ALONG WITH MOSTLY MODERATE SEAS ARE  
ELSEWHERE.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST W OF 55W, ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS, ASSOCIATED  
WITH A PAIR OF COLD FRONTS IN THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC, WILL PREVAIL  
NORTH OF 20N AND EAST OF 65W TONIGHT, AND ROUGH SEAS WILL BE  
REINFORCED NORTH OF 28N AND EAST OF 75W BY SWELL FROM COMPLEX  
STORM SYSTEMS NORTH OF THE AREA. FRESH TO STRONG W TO NW WINDS,  
ASSOCIATED WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE AFOREMENTIONED LOWS,  
WILL OCCUR NORTH OF 28N AND EAST OF 72W TONIGHT, WITH WINDS  
EXPANDING FARTHER EAST AS THE SYSTEM TREKS EASTWARD. ELSEWHERE,  
SOUTH OF 22N, MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH  
EARLY NEXT WEEK, WITH WINDS PULSING TO STRONG SPEEDS EAST OF THE  
WINDWARD ISLANDS AT TIMES. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG S WINDS AND  
ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OFF THE COAST OF FLORIDA AND  
THROUGH THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS LATE TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE FORMS  
OFF THE COAST OF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S., BEFORE THE LOW MOVES  
NORTHEASTWARD THIS WEEKEND. ANOTHER COLD FRONT, SLATED TO MOVE  
INTO THE NORTHWESTERN WATERS ON SUN WILL PROMOTE FRESH TO STRONG  
SW TO NW WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS NORTH OF 27N. LOOKING AHEAD, A VERY  
STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S.  
COAST EARLY NEXT WEEK, FOLLOWED BY STRONG TO NEAR-GALE FORCE N  
WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS NORTH OF CUBA AND WEST OF 70W.  
 
 
GR  
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