685  
FXCA20 KWBC 171903  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
303 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2024  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 17 MAY 2024 AT 1900 UTC:  
 
NOTE: THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS MONITORING TWO AREAS  
POSSIBLE TROPICAL CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS  
IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THE LATEST OUTLOOK SUGGESTS A LOW CHANCE  
OF TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION THROUGH 7 DAYS. PLEASE CHECK THE NHC  
WEBSITE FOR UPDATES.  
 
ACROSS THE EASTERN CENTRAL ATLANTIC THERE IS A SFC HIGH THAT IS  
CAUSING EASTERLY WINDS THROUGH THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC INTO THE  
CARIBBEAN. THERE IS ALSO A SFC LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC  
THAT IS SLOWLY MOVING NORTHEAST. HOWEVER...ANOTHER SFC LOW  
PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC...NEAR BERMUDA  
BY LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. ACROSS THE EASTERN PACIFIC...THERE ARE  
A COUPLE OF SFC LOWS THAT COULD SPIN OF THE MONSOON TROUGH THIS  
WEEKEND.  
 
IN THE MID LEVELS...A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL DOMINATE MOST OF  
THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN AND INTO THE EASTERN MEXICO AND CENTRAL  
AMERICA...LIMITING CONVECTION OVER THE AREA FOR MOST OF THE  
WEEKEND. THERE IS A BROAD TROUGH ACROSS THE WESTERN ATLANTIC INTO  
THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN...AND IT IS MOVING EAST...SO THE EASTERN  
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS ARE IN THE SUBSIDENT SIDE OF THAT TROUGH. BY  
SUNDAY...A MID LEVEL TROUGH WILL HAVE ITS BASE OVER THE NORTHERN  
GULF OF MEXICO AS IT MOVES EAST. THE POSITIONING OF THIS MID LEVEL  
TROUGH WILL ENHANCE INSTABILITY OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF  
MEXICO INTO THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS BY MONDAY. THE UPPER LEVELS ALSO  
HAVE A TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN...AND A RIDGE  
OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN INTO EASTERN MEXICO TODAY. ANOTHER  
TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN ON SATURDAY INTO  
SUNDAY...WITH ITS AXIS OVER HISPANIOLA AND PUERTO RICO. BY  
MONDAY...THE AXIS OF THIS UPPER TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE LEEWARD  
ISLANDS. A WEAKER UPPER TROUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN GULF  
OF MEXICO ON SUNDAY. THIS TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST AND WILL BE OVER  
THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC BY VERY EARLY  
MONDAY.  
 
ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE  
SOMEWHAT LIMITED. THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE WILL BE NEAR TO BELOW  
NORMAL ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN THIS WEEKEND. THERE IS ALSO SOME  
INDICATION THAT SAHARAN DUST PARTICLES COULD MAKE THEIR WAY INTO  
THE CARIBBEAN THIS WEEKEND...WHICH WOULD ALSO HELP TO LIMIT THE  
CONVECTION OVER THE AREA. FOR THAT REASON...THE MAX RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS OVER THE CARIBBEAN NATIONS ARE NOT FORECAST TO SURPASS  
25MM AT ANY GIVEN DAY THIS WEEKEND.  
 
THE BAHAMAS WILL ALSO REMAIN FAIRLY QUIET OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH  
THE EXCEPTION OF THE NORTHERNMOST ISLANDS. THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS  
HAVE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REST OF  
TODAY...THEN ON SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED SFC LOW  
NEAR BERMUDA WILL PULL SOME MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH INTO THE  
NORTHERN BAHAMAS...WHICH WILL COMBINE WITH THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGHS OVER THE AREA...TO CAUSE A CHANCE OF SQUALLY WEATHER AND  
POSSIBLE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AT SOME POINT LATE SUNDAY INTO  
MONDAY.  
 
ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA...A PATCH OF DRY AIR WILL MOVE NORTHWEST  
FROM PANAMA TODAY...INTO NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS BY LATE SATURDAY  
INTO SUNDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE A DECREASE IN THE FORECAST RAINFALL  
TODAY AND SATURDAY OVER THAT PORTION OF CENTRAL AMERICA. THE  
WETTEST PERIOD OVER PANAMA AND COSTA RICA WILL BE FROM SUNDAY INTO  
EARLY MONDAY...WHILE TODAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY WILL BE THE WETTEST  
DAY FOR NICARAGUA AND HONDURAS...BUT THEN DRYING OUT EACH DAY INTO  
MONDAY. ACROSS THE NORTHERN COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL  
AMERICA...PARTICULARLY GUATEMALA AND BELIZE...AS WELL AS THE  
SOUTHERNMOST SECTIONS OF MEXICO INCLUDING THE CHIAPAS STATE...WILL  
HAVE A SIGNIFICANT INFLUX OF MOISTURE FROM SATURDAY INTO  
SUNDAY...CAUSING RAINFALL TOTALS THAT COULD HAVE MAX AMOUNTS NEAR  
40-80MM...BUT LESSER AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE FORECAST TODAY AND SUNDAY  
INTO MONDAY.  
 
IN NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA...MOST OF THE RAINFALL ACROSS THE AREA  
WILL BE ALONG THE ITCZ/NET...WITH PEAKS IN MOISTURE CORRELATED TO  
EASTERLY WAVES AND SFC TROUGHS. SATURDAY INTO MONDAY APPEARS TO BE  
THE PERIOD WITH THE HIGHEST RAINFALL POTENTIAL...POSSIBLY IN PART  
NOT ONLY DUE TO THE ABUNDANT MOISTURE...BUT ALSO DUE TO THE  
DIVERGENCE AND DIFFLUENCE THAT CAN BE OBSERVED OVER THE AREA AS  
THE UPPER TROUGH DIGS INTO THE CARIBBEAN. MAX RAINFALL VALUES  
ALONG THE ITCZ/NET AS WELL AS OVER PORTIONS OF VENEZUELA AND  
COLOMBIA CAN OBSERVE MAX VALUES BETWEEN 35 AND 80MM ON SATURDAY  
INTO SUNDAY...WHILE MAX VALUES GO DOWN TO 30-60MM ON SUNDAY INTO  
MONDAY OVER VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA...LESSER AMOUNTS OF RAIN ARE  
FORECAST ELSEWHERE.  
 
ALAMO...WPC (USA)  
 

 
 
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