506  
FXCA20 KWBC 161846  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
245 PM EDT TUE JUL 16 2024  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 16 JUL 2024 AT 1830 UTC: A STRONG SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE  
ATLANTIC BASIN. THERE IS HOWEVER A WEAK SFC LOW PRESSURE  
DEVELOPING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN...CLOSE TO PANAMA AND  
COLOMBIA...AS WELL AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE MONSOON  
TROUGH IN THE EAST PACIFIC. THE CENTRAL TO EASTERN TROPICAL  
ATLANTIC IS FAIRLY QUIET AS A LARGE PLUME OF SAHARAN DUST AND DRY  
AIR ENCOMPASSES MOST OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC...WITH THE EXCEPTION  
OF AREAS ALONG THE ITCZ / MONSOON TROUGH. A SERIES OF TROPICAL  
WAVES WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE TROPICAL REGION OVER THE NEXT FEW  
DAYS. THESE TROPICAL WAVES ARE PROVIDING LOCALLY HIGHER AREAS OF  
MOISTURE...WHICH WILL HELP INCREASE THE CHANCES OF SHOWERS AS THEY  
APPROACH LAND AREAS. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A FEW TROUGHS AND LOW  
PRESSURES ARE HELPING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
AS THEY REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY FOR THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK.  
THERE IS AN UPPER LOW ACROSS THE WESTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC...EAST  
OF THE BAHAMAS...AND ANOTHER OVER EASTERN TEXAS. THESE UPPER LOWS  
WOULD CAUSE RISING MOTION JUST NORTH OF THE CARIBBEAN AND OVER  
NORTHEASTERN MEXICO RESPECTIVELY. AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL  
CARIBBEAN IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AND ITS  
LIMITED IMPACT COULD CAUSE MODEST AMOUNTS OF SHOWERS OVER CENTRAL  
AMERICA.  
 
IN TERMS OF RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS...SOME SECTIONS OF NORTHERN  
SOUTH AMERICA WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL...THOUGH DIFFERENT  
SECTIONS EACH DAY THROUGH THE END OF THE WORKWEEK. THESE LOCAL  
MAXIMUM RAINFALL COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE INTERACTION BETWEEN  
TROPICAL WAVES WITH THE LOCAL TERRAIN AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE. THIS  
IS BECAUSE THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY  
CONDUCIVE FOR PROLONGED RISING MOTION OR VENTILATION...AS THE  
WINDS ARE LIGHT. THAT SAID...THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF COLOMBIA WILL  
HAVE SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TODAY AND WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...AS A  
LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE BRINGS PERSISTENT DEEP MOISTURE FROM  
THE MONSOON TROUGH INTO THE CONTINENT. THE RAINFALL FORECAST FOR  
WESTERN COLOMBIA SUGGESTS DAILY ACCUMULATIONS IN THE ORDER OF  
15-20MM/DAY WITH MAX VALUES RANGING FROM 35 TO 80MM TODAY AND  
WEDNESDAY. THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY COULD BE A BIT DRIER...AND THE  
FORECAST FOR WESTERN COLOMBIA HAS MAX VALUES BETWEEN 20-35MM BUT  
NORTHERN COLOMBIA COULD OBSERVE UP TO 60MM...THOUGH THIS COULD BE  
DUE TO THE PASSING OF A TROPICAL WAVE. FOR THE REST OF NORTHERN  
SOUTH AMERICA...MOISTURE POOLING ASSOCIATED WITH A TROPICAL WAVE  
COULD CAUSE AS MUCH AS 50-100MM OF RAIN ACROSS EASTERN VENEZUELA  
AND NORTHERN BRAZIL TODAY. HOWEVER...THIS IS A COMPROMISE AS THE  
GFS MODEL IS VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH THE AMOUNTS...SUGGESTING HIGHER  
THAN 125MM...WHILE THE ECMWF IS VERY SHY WITH THE RAINFALL  
SOLUTION. GIVEN THE CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY...BEING CLOSER TO  
THAT GFS SOLUTION...WE DECIDED TO LEAN TOWARDS THE GFS BUT WITH  
SLIGHTLY LOWER AMOUNTS. OTHER AREAS IN VENEZUELA AND THE GUIANAS  
ARE FORECAST TO OBSERVE UNDER 25MM OF RAIN TODAY. ON  
WEDNESDAY...PORTIONS OF CENTRAL VENEZUELA TO THE SOUTH INTO  
NORTHERN BRAZIL ARE FORECAST TO OBSERVE RAINFALL MAXIMA BETWEEN  
20-60MM...WITH CENTRAL VENEZUELA ON THE HIGHER END OF THAT RANGE.  
OTHER SECTIONS OF NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA...INCLUDING THE  
GUIANAS....EASTERN AND NORTHERN COLOMBIA...AS WELL AS NORTHERN  
VENEZUELA...ARE FORECAST TO OBSERVE AMOUNTS GENERALLY BETWEEN  
05-10MM WITH MAXIMA BETWEEN 15-35MM ON WEDNESDAY. ON THURSDAY INTO  
FRIDAY...NORTHEASTERN VENEZUELA AND NORTHWESTERN GUYANA...AS WELL  
AS NORTHERN COLOMBIA AND WESTERN VENEZUELA...COULD OBSERVE  
RAINFALL MAXIMA BETWEEN 30 AND 80MM...THOUGH ELSEWHERE IN THE  
REGION...35MM OR LESS CAN BE EXPECTED.  
 
ACROSS MEXICO...A LARGE PART OF THE COUNTRY WILL OBSERVE RAINFALL  
EACH DAY THROUGH THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK...ESPECIALLY ALONG  
SIERRA MADRE. THERE IS AN INCREASE IN MOISTURE AS A TROPICAL WAVE  
PASSES JUST SOUTH OF THE COUNTRY...AND A SFC HIGH PRESSURE PUSHES  
ONSHORE FLOW INTO THE WEST COAST. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH A  
PREDOMINANTLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW FROM THE GULF...CAUSING A  
PERSISTENT MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THIS  
LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL COMBINE WITH AN UPPER TROUGH ACROSS  
TEXAS...WHICH WILL GIVE RISING MOTION ACROSS THE SOUTH AND AND  
SOUTHEAST OF THE UPPER LOW...WHICH IS OVER PORTIONS OF CENTRAL  
MEXICO. THEREFORE...DAILY RAIN VALUES BETWEEN 05-15MM WITH  
LOCALIZED MAXIMA BETWEEN 20-45MM CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS MANY  
SECTORS OF MEXICO THROUGH THE END OF THE WORKWEEK.  
 
THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AND MOST OF  
CENTRAL AMERICA IS A BIT MORE MODEST THAN THE REST OF THE TROPICAL  
REGION. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EASTERNMOST SECTIONS OF  
PANAMA...WHICH COULD OBSERVE SIGNIFICANT RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THE  
SFC LOW AND MONSOON TROUGH...THE REST OF CENTRAL AMERICA IS  
FORECAST TO OBSERVE DAILY RAINFALL VALUES NEAR 05-10MM WITH MAXIMA  
BETWEEN 15-35MM FOR THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK. WHILE THE CARIBBEAN  
ISLANDS COLD EXPECT EVEN LOWER AMOUNTS...OBSERVING DAILY RAINFALL  
OF AROUND 05-10MM OR LESS...WHILE ISOLATED MAXIMA OF 25MM OR LESS  
IS POSSIBLE. THAT SAID...SAHARAN DUST IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE  
CARIBBEAN FROM WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONWARD...WHICH WILL BRING DRIER AIR  
AND EVEN LESS SHOWER ACTIVITY.  
 
ALAMO...(WPC)  
FERNANDER...(BDM)  
CLARKE...(CINWS)  
 

 
 
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