349  
FXCA20 KWBC 171645  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
1244 PM EDT WED JUL 17 2024  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 17 JUL 2024 AT 1630 UTC: A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE  
ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE ATLANTIC  
BASIN...AND THE LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS IT WILL CONTINUE AT LEAST  
THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. THERE IS A WEAK SFC LOW DEVELOPING  
ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN CARIBBEAN...CLOSE TO PANAMA AND  
COLOMBIA...WHICH WILL CAUSE MOISTURE FROM THE MONSOON TROUGH TO  
POOL OVER THE WATERS ADJACENT TO SOUTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA AND  
NORTHWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE CENTRAL TO  
EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC IS FAIRLY QUIET AS A LARGE PLUME OF  
SAHARAN DUST AND DRY AIR IS PRESENT OVER MOST OF THE TROPICAL  
ATLANTIC...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AREAS ALONG THE ITCZ / MONSOON  
TROUGH. TROPICAL WAVES OVER THE REGION WILL CAUSE LOCALLY HIGHER  
AREAS OF MOISTURE...WHICH WILL HELP INCREASE THE CHANCES OF  
SHOWERS AS THEY APPROACH LAND AREAS. 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...WHICH MAY PLAY A ROLE IN A MARGINAL RISK OF SQUALLY  
WEATHER OVER THE BAHAMAS ON THURSDAY. 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 EFFECTS AND AVAILABLE  
MOISTURE. THE MID AND UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY  
FAVORABLE FOR PROLONGED RISING MOTION OR VENTILATION. THAT  
SAID...THE AFOREMENTIONED LOW PRESSURE NEAR PANAMA WILL BRING  
PERSISTENT MOISTURE FROM THE MONSOON TROUGH INTO THE PANAMA AND  
WESTERN COLOMBIA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE RAINFALL FORECAST FOR  
WESTERN COLOMBIA SUGGESTS DAILY ACCUMULATIONS IN THE ORDER OF  
10-15MM/DAY WITH MAX VALUES RANGING FROM 20 TO 35MM TODAY AND  
THURSDAY. FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY COULD BE A BIT DRIER WITH MAX  
VALUES OF 25MM OR LESS. FOR THE REST OF NORTHERN SOUTH  
AMERICA...THE AVAILABLE MOISTURE AND THE INTERACTION WITH THE  
TROPICAL WAVES AND LOCAL TERRAIN COULD CAUSE PERIODS OF  
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL...THOUGH THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS EXPECTED OVER  
PORTIONS OF VENEZUELA...GUYANA AND NORTHERN COLOMBIA. TODAY AND  
TOMORROW...RAINFALL MAXIMA ACROSS ISOLATED SECTIONS OF THE  
AFOREMENTIONED AREAS COULD BE AS MUCH AS 30-80MM...BUT THIS IS A  
COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE GLOBAL MODELS AND THE CURRENT OBSERVED  
CONDITIONS. THE GFS MODEL CONTINUES TO BE BULLISH WITH THE  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS. AND GIVEN THE CURRENT SATELLITE IMAGERY...WE  
ONCE AGAIN DECIDED TO LEAN TOWARDS THE GFS...BUT WITH SLIGHTLY  
LOWER AMOUNTS. BASED ON THE LATEST GUIDANCE...FRIDAY TO SATURDAY  
APPEARS TO BE HE DRIEST DAY OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS...WITH THE  
HIGHEST MAX VALUE BEING 45MM OR LESS.  
 
ACROSS MEXICO...THE WIDESPREAD COVERAGE OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE WORKWEEK. AN AREA OF MOISTURE  
CONVERGENCE ALONG THE SIERRA MADRE AND ADJACENT AREAS WILL HELP  
PROMOTE PERSISTENT LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS OVER THE AREA. A SFC  
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE WEST OF NORTHERN MEXICO...WITH A WEAK LOW  
PRESSURE WEST OF CENTRAL MEXICO WILL PUSH ONSHORE FLOW INTO THE  
WEST COAST OF THE COUNTRY. THIS WESTERLY FLOW WILL COMBINE WITH A  
PREDOMINANTLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW FROM THE GULF...CAUSING THE  
PERSISTENT MOISTURE CONVERGENCE. 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. HOWEVER...A  
LARGE AREA...MOSTLY COVERING JALISCO AND NEARBY STATES ARE  
FORECAST UP TO 50MM ON FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.  
 
THE FORECAST RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AND  
MOST OF CENTRAL AMERICA IS RELATIVELY MODEST RELATIVELY SPEAKING.  
ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...THERE IS A LARGE PLUME OF SAHARAN DUST  
MOVING IN...WHICH IN PART WILL CAUSE LIMITED SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER  
THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AS THE SAHARAN DUST PROPAGATES WESTWARD.  
THAT BEING SAID...THE FORECAST RAINFALL FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND  
CENTRAL AMERICA FOR TODAY AND THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY IS  
BETWEEN 05-10MM WITH MAXIMA OF 35MM OR LESS...IF IT RAINS...AS  
MANY AREAS OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS ARE  
FORECAST LITTLE TO NO RAIN. FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY IS A BIT MORE  
ACTIVE FOR CENTRAL AMERICA...ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND EL  
SALVADOR...WHERE 15 TO 20MM WITH MAXIMA UP TO 80MM IS POSSIBLE.  
THE CARIBBEAN WILL CONTINUE OBSERVING A RELATIVELY DENSE  
CONCENTRATION OF SAHARAN DUST INTO THE WEEKEND...AND THEREFORE THE  
RAINFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE MODEST ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ON FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY.  
 
ALAMO...(WPC)  
FERNANDER...(BDM)  
CLARKE...(CINWS)  
 

 
 
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