748  
FXCA20 KWBC 152018  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
317 PM EST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 15 JANUARY 2025 AT 20 UTC  
 
THE MID-LEVEL ANALYSIS SHOWS A ROBUST ZONALLY-ORIENTED RIDGE ALONG  
18-24N...FROM SOUTHERN MEXICO INTO AREAS EAST OF 55W. THIS RIDGE  
ASSOCIATES WITH A ROBUST TRADE WIND INVERSION IN THE NORTHERN  
CARIBBEAN...WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO LIMIT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS IN  
THE BAHAMAS AND NORTHERN CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. YET...NOTICE THAT  
MODELS AGREE ON THE RIDGE GRADUALLY WEAKENING OVER THE  
NORTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE CYCLE. THIS WILL ASSOCIATE  
WITH A WEAKENING OF THE INVERSION AND AN INCREASE IN VERTICAL  
DEVELOPMENT OF CONVECTION IN PORTIONS OF THE GREATER ANTILLES AS  
THE WEEKEND APPROACHES.  
 
PROGRESSIVE UPPER TROUGHS IN THE WESTERLIES CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN  
SURFACE FRONTS IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE BASIN. BY WEDNESDAY  
EVENING EXPECT A FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST BAHAMAS...CENTRAL  
CUBA...INTO A STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. WEST  
OF THIS REGION EXPECT A SURFACE LOW JUST OFF THE RIO BRAVO  
DELTA...EXTENDING A FRONT INTO SOUTHERN VERACRUZ. BY THURSDAY  
EVENING EXPECT THE FRONT TO BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY JUST ALONG  
THE NORTH COAST OF HISPANIOLA...INTO A STATIONARY BOUNDARY ACROSS  
THE CARIBBEAN COAST OF CUBA...YUCATAN CHANNEL...INTO A WEAKENING  
BOUNDARY ACROSS THE CENTRAL YUCATAN PENINSULA. BY FRIDAY EVENING  
EXPECT A STATIONARY BOUNDARY ALONG 20N 65W... NORTHERN  
HISPANIOLA...SOUTHEAST CUBA...INTO WEST CUBA. IN SOUTHERN  
MEXICO...THIS WILL FAVOR MAXIMA OF 15 - 30MM THROUGH EARLY  
THURSDAY...AND MAXIMA OF 20 - 40MM BY THURSDAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY  
TO DECREASE THEREAFTER. THE FRONT WILL ALSO FAVOR CONVECTION IN  
WEST CUBA WHERE...IN INTERACTION WITH A SHORT WAVE UPPER  
TROUGH...IT WILL FAVOR MAXIMA OF 15 - 20MM ON THURSDAY THROUGH  
EARLY FRIDAY...AND MAXIMA OF 15 - 25MM BY FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY  
SATURDAY. IN NORTHERN HISPANIOLA...EXPECT MAXIMA OF 15 - 25MM  
DEVELOPING ON FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. NOTE THAT A WEAKENING  
OF THE TRADE WIND CAP COULD FAVOR ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS.  
 
TWO ELONGATED SHEAR LINES EXTEND FROM THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC ACROSS  
THE LESSER ANTILLES AND INTO THE ABC ISLANDS/NORTHWEST VENEZUELA.  
THESE ARE STIMULATING PRECIPITATION LOCALLY BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTS  
OCCURRING ARE VERY CONSERVATIVE DUE TO THE STABILIZING INFLUENCE  
OF THE MID-LEVEL RIDGE AND DRY AIR IN THE MID TROPOSPHERE. EXPECT  
VERY CONSERVATIVE AMOUNTS ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER ON THURSDAY...THE  
ARRIVAL OF A TROUGH IN THE EASTERLIES WILL ENHANCE LOW-LEVEL  
MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IN THE LESSER ANTILLES TO FAVOR AN INCREASE  
TO A MAXIMA OF 15 - 20MM IN THE CENTRAL ISLANDS. SIMILAR AMOUNTS  
ARE EXPECTED IN THE ABC ISLANDS DUE TO AN INCREASE IN AVAILABLE  
MOISTURE. ON FRIDAY...EXPECT THE SOUTHERN SHEAR LINE TO DISSIPATE  
WHILE THE NORTHERN SYSTEM MEANDERS INTO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND  
SOUTHEAST PUERTO RICO. HOWEVER...A MOIST PLUME PROPAGATING ACROSS  
THE LESSER ANTILLES WILL STILL FAVOR ISOLATED MAXIMA OF 15-20MM.  
IN THE ABC ISLANDS AND NORTHERN VENEZUELA EXPECT A DECREASING  
TREND PAST THURSDAY AS THE BULK OF HIGH VALUES OF PRECIPITABLE  
WATER EXITS WESTWARD.  
 
GENERALLY FAIR WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED IN CENTRAL AMERICA  
AND NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA...PRIMARILY DUE TO A VERY DRY AIR MASS  
PRESENT IN NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA AND NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA.  
SCATTERED TRADE WIND SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ON A DAILY BASIS BETWEEN  
SOUTHEAST NICARAGUA AND NORTHWEST PANAMA TO FAVOR MAXIMA GENERALLY  
IN THE 20 - 40MM RANGE. ANOTHER REGION OF INTEREST IS COASTAL  
ECUADOR AND SOUTHWEST/WEST-CENTRAL COLOMBIA...WHERE ITCZ  
CONVERGENCE AND ONSHORE FLOW WILL FAVOR CONVECTION ON A DAILY  
BASIS. HOWEVER...NOTE THAT THE COVERAGE OF CONVECTION IS EXPECTED  
TO REMAIN GENERALLY DISCRETE AND MAXIMA WILL LIKELY LIMIT TO 20 -  
40MM IN ECUADOR ON WEDNESDAY THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY ON A DAILY  
BASIS...AND TO 20 - 35MM IN COLOMBIA ON THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY  
FRIDAY.  
 
GALVEZ...(WPC)  
TINOCO...(WPC)  
 
 
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