108  
FXCA20 KWBC 191732  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
131 PM EDT THU SEP 19 2024  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 19 SEP 2024 AT 17 UTC:  
 
THE MAIN SYSTEM OF INTEREST IN THE FORECAST CYCLE IS THE EXPECTED  
DEVELOPMENT OF A BAROCLINIC CENTRAL AMERICAN GYRE OVER CENTRAL  
AMERICA BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. NOTE THAT THIS SYSTEM COULD  
BECOME A SIGNIFICANT EVENT GIVEN THAT IT IS FORECAST TO LAST  
NEARLY A WEEK AS IT MEANDERS NORTHWESTWARD TOWARDS SOUTHEAST  
MEXICO THROUGH LATE NEXT WEEK. CONSIDERING THAT CONFIDENCE ON FLOW  
EVOLUTION AND ESPECIALLY PRECIPITATION WITH CAG EVENTS DECAYS  
RAPIDLY WITH TIME...THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE AREAS AT HIGHEST RISK  
FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IS STILL LOW PAST SUNDAY.  
 
ON THURSDAY...A QUASI-STATIONARY AMPLIFIED MID-UPPER FLOW PATTERN  
CONTINUES ESTABLISHED OVER AREAS NORTH OF 15N. OF SPECIAL INTEREST  
IS A POTENT UPPER RIDGE LOCATED OVER CENTRAL MEXICO...WHICH IS  
FAVORING THE AMPLIFICATION OF A ROBUST UPPER TROUGH TO ITS EAST.  
THIS TROUGH IS ALREADY EXTENDING ITS BASE INTO GUATEMALA AND EL  
SALVADOR. SUCH UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE INTERACTING WITH THE MOIST POOL BUILDING ACROSS THE  
NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN...TO TRIGGER THE FORMATION OF THE CAG.  
CONFIDENCE IN THIS EVOLUTION IS INCREASING GIVEN THE EXPECTED  
ARRIVAL OF A KELVIN WAVE THIS WEEKEND. IN THE MEAN TIME...AN  
EASTERLY WAVE IS ENHANCING CONVECTION IN CENTRAL AMERICA IN  
COMBINATION WITH LONG FETCH LOW-LEVEL WESTERLIES PRESENT IN THE  
PACIFIC BASINS OF COSTA RICA AND PANAMA (SEE BELOW FOR WAVE  
POSITIONS AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS). BUT AS THE CAG FORMS...EXPECT THE  
WAVE TO DISSIPATE ON SATURDAY WHILE POTENTIAL RAINFALL  
ACCUMULATIONS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. BY FRIDAY...EXPECT THE  
HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IN WEST PANAMA AND WEST COSTA RICA ...WHERE  
ENHANCED ONSHORE FLOW WILL FAVOR MAXIMA OF 40-80MM. AS THE CAG  
STARTS GAINING STRUCTURE...EXPECT SCATTERED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS TO  
DOT MOST OF NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA WHERE EXPECT AMOUNTS IN THE  
15-20MM/DAY AND MAXIMA OF 30-60MM RANGE. IN CENTRAL PANAMA EXPECT  
MAXIMA OF 20-45MM. ON SATURDAY...EXPECT AMOUNTS OF 20-40MM/DAY AND  
MAXIMA OF 50-100MM DEVELOPING IN MOST OF COSTA RICA AND SOUTHWEST  
NICARAGUA...AS SOUTHWESTERLY LOW-LEVEL WINDS START DEVELOPING WEST  
OF CENTRAL AMERICA. IN EL SALVADOR/HONDURAS/SOUTHERN GUATEMALA  
EXPECT MAXIMA OF 30-60MM. IN NORTHEAST NICARAGUA AND EAST HONDURAS  
EXPECT MAXIMA OF 20-45MM...WHILE ISOLATED SIMILAR AMOUNTS ARE  
EXPECTED IN SOUTHERN PANAMA.  
 
A SECONDARY REGION OF INTEREST ENCOMPASSES THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS  
AND WEST CUBA...GIVEN DIRECT INFLUENCES OF THE AFOREMENTIONED  
UPPER TROUGH. GIVEN THAT THE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO PERSIST THROUGH  
SEVERAL DAYS IN THE REGION...IT WILL PROVIDE RECURRENT PERIODS OF  
VENTILATION TO SUSTAIN INTERMITTENT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE ENTIRE FORECAST CYCLE. ON THURSDAY  
EXPECT MAXIMA OF 20-35MM AND A MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERITY IN THE  
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS...WHILE IN WEST AND CENTRAL CUBA EXPECT MAXIMA  
OF 15-25MM. ON FRIDAY...EXPECT MAXIMA GENERALLY IN THE 15-25MM/DAY  
RANGE ACROSS BOTH THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS AND WEST AND CENTRAL CUBA.  
EXPECT SIMILAR AMOUNTS ON SATURDAY...BUT A DECREASE IN THE  
SEVERITY RISK FOR CUBA.  
 
EASTERLY/TROPICAL WAVES INITIALIZED AT 12 UTC  
TYPE INIT SOF 20/00 20/12 21/00 21/12 22/00 22/12 23/00 23/12  
EW 82W 18N 83W 85W 87W 89W CAG ----- ----- -----  
TW 93W 22N 95W 98W 102W 105W 108W 111W 114W EXITS  
 
AN EASTERLY WAVE IS INITIALIZE AT 82W AND IS SLOWING DOWN AS IT  
ENTERS CENTRAL AMERICA ON THURSDAY...TO FAVOR MAXIMA OF 20-45MM IN  
EAST HONDURAS/EAST NICARAGUA AND NORTHERN COSTA RICA. IN SOUTHERN  
COSTA RICA AND WEST PANAMA EXPECT MAXIMA OF 35-70MM. SIMILAR  
AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE GULF OF FONSECA REGION WITH A RISK FOR  
MCS FORMATION. ON FRIDAY...THE WAVE WILL ENHANCE CONVECTION IN  
HONDURAS AND EL SALVADOR PRIMARILY...TO FAVOR MAXIMA OF 30-60MM  
AND A GENERALIZED RISK FOR HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS. NOTE THAT IT IS  
FORECAST TO THEN BECOME ILL-DEFINED AS THE CAG ESTABLISHES OVER  
CENTRAL AMERICA.  
 
A TROPICAL WAVE IS INITIALIZED AT 92W AND TO THE SOUTH OF 22N.  
THIS WAVE IS ILL-DEFINED BUT WILL PROPAGATE ACROSS SOUTHERN  
MEXICO...STIMULATING CONVECTION LOCALLY OVER FROM JALISCO TO  
OAXACA TO FAVOR MAXIMA OF 20-35MM ON THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY A  
DECREASE IN MAXIMA TO 15-20MM ON FRIDAY...AS IT PROPAGATES ACROSS  
SOUTHWEST MEXICO. THE WAVE IS FORECAST TO RAPIDLY EXIT THE COASTS  
OF JALISCO ON SATURDAY WITH LIMITED IMPACTS IN CONTINENTAL  
CONVECTION.  
 
JACKMAN...(BMS-BARBADOS)  
LEDESMA...(WPC)  
TINOCO...(WPC)  
GALVEZ...(WPC)  
 
 
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