089  
AXNT20 KNHC 180940  
TWDAT  
 
TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL  
1215 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 0600 UTC SURFACE ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY THROUGH  
0930 UTC.  
   
..MONSOON TROUGH/ITCZ  
 
 
THE MONSOON TROUGH AXIS ENTERS THE ATLANTIC THROUGH THE COAST OF  
LIBERIA NEAR 06N11W AND CONTINUES SOUTHWESTWARD TO 00N26W. THE  
ITCZ EXTENDS FROM 00N26W TO 01N39W AND TO NEAR 00N50W. SCATTERED  
MODERATE CONVECTION IS SEEN WITHIN 120 NM NORTH OF THE ITCZ  
BETWEEN 30W AND 38W.  
   
..GULF OF MEXICO  
 
WEAKENING LOW PRESSURE OF 1015 IS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN GULF  
WATERS NEAR 26N83W. A SMALL STATIONARY FRONT SEGMENT EXTENDS  
NORTHEAST FROM THE LOW TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, AND A TRAILING TROUGH  
EXTENDS SOUTHWESTWARD FROM THE LOW TO INLAND THE NORTHEAST  
YUCATAN PENINSULA. NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTION IS OCCURRING WITH  
THIS SYSTEM. ISOLATED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF  
WATERS AS WELL AS ALONG THE COASTAL PLAINS SECTIONS. FRESH TO  
LOCALLY STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE FOUND IN THE WESTERN AND  
NORTHERN GULF WATERS, ESPECIALLY WEST OF A LINE FROM PANAMA CITY,  
FLORIDA, TO VERACRUZ, MEXICO. SEAS OVER THESE WATERS ARE 4-6 FT.  
OVERNIGHT ASCAT SATELLITE DATA PASSES INDICATED FRESH TO LOCALLY  
STRONG SE WINDS IN THE FLORIDA STRAITS. ELSEWHERE, MODERATE OR  
WEAKER WINDS AND SLIGHT TO MODERATE SEAS PREVAIL.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, FRESH SOUTHWEST WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN AND  
WESTERN GULF WILL CONTINUE TODAY AHEAD OF DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE  
IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL UNITED STATES. A RATHER SHARP COLD FRONT  
ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED LOW WILL ENTER THE NW GULF LATE  
THIS MORNING, FOLLOWED INITIALLY BY FRESH NORTHWEST TO NORTH  
WINDS. THESE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO STRONG SPEEDS BY  
EARLY SUN AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE FRONT AND  
BUILDING STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. NEAR GALE TO  
GALE-FORCE WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUN AND SUN NIGHT IN THE  
SOUTHWESTERN GULF OFFSHORE OF TAMPICO AND OFFSHORE VERACRUZ. ROUGH  
SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE WINDS. LOOKING AHEAD, LOW  
PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM OVER THE NW GULF EARLY NEXT WEEK,  
WITH AN ATTENDANT POTENT COLD FRONT. THE LOW WILL TRACK EASTWARD  
THROUGH MID-WEEK DRAGGING THE COLD FRONT ACROSS THE ENTIRE BASIN.  
NEAR GALE TO GALE-FORCE NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO  
MOVE INTO MOST OF THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN GULF EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
ROUGH TO VERY ROUGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE WINDS. MARINERS  
ARE URGED TO EXERCISE CAUTION ACROSS THE BASIN, INCLUDING OUTSIDE  
OF THE GALE CONDITION AFFECTED ZONES, DUE TO THE EXPANSIVE AREA OF  
STRONG TO NEAR-GALE FORCE WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS ASSOCIATED WITH  
SUCCESSIVE FRONTAL SYSTEMS.  
   
..CARIBBEAN SEA  
 
POCKETS OF LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN AND  
CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA RESULT IN A FEW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED  
THUNDERSTORMS, WITH THE STRONGEST CONVECTION OCCURRING NEAR THE  
SAN ANDRES AND PROVIDENCIA ISLANDS AND THE COASTS OF SE NICARAGUA  
AND NE COSTA RICA. A 1024 MB HIGH CENTER IS ANALYZED OVER THE  
WESTERN ATLANTIC AT 28N69W. THE GRADIENT BETWEEN IT AND RELATIVELY  
LOWER PRESSURE PRESENT TO ITS SOUTH IS ALLOWING FOR FRESH TO  
STRONG TRADES NORTHEAST TO EAST TRADES TO EXIST OVER MUCH OF THE  
CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN, INCLUDING THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AS  
DEPICTED IN OVERNIGHT ASCAT SATELLITE DATA PASSES. SEAS IN THESE  
WATERS ARE AROUND 5 TO 7 FT, EXCEPT FOR HIGHER SEAS OF 6 TO 9 FT  
FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W AND ALSO NORTH 15N BETWEEN  
68W AND 72W. THE WINDS OF STRONG SPEEDS AND HIGHEST OF THE SEAS  
ARE PRESENT OFF NW COLOMBIA. ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN,  
MODERATE OR WEAKER WINDS AND SLIGHT TO MODERATE SEAS REMAIN.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST, WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHEAST TO EAST  
WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN, CENTRAL AND EASTERN  
CARIBBEAN THROUGH 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. LONG-PERIOD EAST SWELL WILL PROMOTE  
ROUGH SEAS THROUGH THE ATLANTIC PASSAGES TONIGHT THROUGH THE  
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG EAST TO SOUTHEAST  
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 EAST 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 BROAD RIDGE LOCATED BETWEEN PUERTO RICO AND BERMUDA DOMINATES  
THE SW NORTH ATLANTIC ITS RELATED GRADIENT IS INDUCING MODERATE  
TO FRESH EASTERLY WINDS SOUTH OF 23N AND BETWEEN 55W AND 70W AND  
SIMILAR STRENGTH BUT SE WINDS WEST OF 70W, ESPECIALLY IN THE  
BAHAMIAN AND OFF NE FLORIDA WATERS. SEAS IN THESE WATERS ARE 4-7  
FT. OVERNIGHT ASCAT SATELLITE DATA PASSES NOTED FRESH TO STRONG  
WESTERLY WINDS NORTH OF 29N AND BETWEEN 45W AND 63W. SEAS IN THE  
WATERS DESCRIBED ARE 8 TO 12 FT. A COLD FRONT IS ANALYZED FROM  
NEAR 31N35W SOUTHWESTWARD TO 24N48W, WHERE IT TRANSITIONS TO A  
SHEAR LINE THAT REACHES THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. MODERATE SOUTHWEST  
WINDS ALONG WITH SEAS OF 8 TO 10 FT ARE NORTH OF 27N AND BETWEEN  
31W AND 40W.  
 
THE REST OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC IS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF  
HIGH PRESSURE, WITH A 1026 MB HIGH CENTER LOCATED NEAR THE  
CANARY ISLANDS. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE  
AND COMPARATIVELY LOWER PRESSURE IN THE DEEP TROPICS IS  
SUPPORTING FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG TRADES SOUTH OF ABOUT 22N. SEAS  
IN THE AREA DESCRIBED ARE 6 TO 9 FT DUE TO LONG-PERIOD NORTHWEST  
TO NORTH SWELL. ELSEWHERE, MODERATE OR WEAKER WINDS AND MODERATE  
SEAS ARE PRESENT.  
 
FOR THE FORECAST W OF 55W, FRESH TO STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS  
ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL  
ATLANTIC TO THE NE PART OF THE AREA WILL SHIFT TO E OF 55W EARLY  
THIS AFTERNOON. THE ROUGH SEAS PRODUCED BY THESE WINDS WILL LAG  
BEHIND BEFORE ALSO SHIFTING E OF 55W TONIGHT. MODERATE TO FRESH  
TRADES ELSEWHERE WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD, WITH WINDS  
PULSING TO STRONG SPEEDS EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS AT TIMES.  
FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG SOUTH WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS ARE OFF THE  
FLORIDA COAST N OF 25N IN ADVANCE OF A TROUGH THAT IS OFFSHORE THE  
SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST. LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG  
THE TROUGH TODAY AND TRACK NE WELL N OF THE FORECAST WATERS. A  
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHWESTERN WATERS ON SUN INDUCING  
FRESH TO STRONG SOUTHWEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS AND ROUGH SEAS NORTH  
OF 27N. LOOKING AHEAD, A POTENT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF  
THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. COAST EARLY NEXT WEEK, FOLLOWED BY STRONG  
TO NEAR-GALE FORCE NORTH WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS NORTH OF CUBA AND  
WEST OF 70W.  
 
 
AGUIRRE  
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