318  
FXCA20 KWBC 171938  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
238 PM EST FRI JAN 17 2025  
 
NOTE: THE NEXT FORECAST BULLETIN WILL BE AVAILABLE ON TUESDAY 21  
JANUARY 2024  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 17 JANUARY 2025 AT 20 UTC  
 
MEDIUM RANGE DISCUSSION: THE APPROACH OF THE UPPER CONVERGENT  
PHASE OF THE MJO WILL LIKELY YIELD INTO DRIER CONDITIONS  
DEVELOPING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AND PERSISTING AT LEAST INTO  
THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY.  
 
NORTHWEST BAHAMAS: A SHORT WAVE TROUGH IN THE MID-TROPOSPHERE IS  
INTERACTING WITH A MOIST PLUME LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST GULF OF  
MEXICO...RESULTING IN SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE FLORIDA  
STRAIT. AS THE SYSTEM MEANDERS EASTWARD...EXPECT A FEW CELLS TO  
IMPACT THE NORTHWEST BAHAMAS THROUGH LATE HOURS OF FRIDAY...TO  
FAVOR 05 - 10MM/DAY AND ISOLATED MAXIMA OF 15MM THROUGH SATURDAY  
MORNING.  
 
NORTHEAST CARIBBEAN: AN EXTENSIVE FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL  
NORTH ATLANTIC INTO THE GREATER ANTILLES. BY FRIDAY EVENING EXPECT  
IT TO EXTEND AS A STATIONARY BOUNDARY ALONG 19N 65W OR JUST NORTH  
OF PUERTO RICO...INTO CENTRAL HISPANIOLA. IT IS FORECAST TO REMAIN  
IN THIS LOCATION THROUGH SATURDAY TO THEN LOSE DEFINITION. BY  
SUNDAY EVENING THE BOUNDARY IS ANALYZED AS A SHEAR LINE LOCATED TO  
THE NORTH OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. ANOTHER SHEAR LINE IS CURRENTLY  
PRESENT ACROSS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...AND IS FORECAST TO MEANDER  
NORTH WHILE LOSING DEFINITION. BY FRIDAY EVENING IT IS ANALYZED  
ALONG THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS INTO SOUTHEAST PUERTO RICO...TO  
THEN DISSIPATE. BOTH FRONT AND THE CURRENT SHEAR LINE ARE  
ASSOCIATED WITH MOIST PLUMES THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT CLOUD COVER AND  
PRECIPITATION IN EASTERN HISPANIOLA AND PUERTO RICO THROUGH THE  
CYCLE. HOWEVER...THE INFLUENCE OF A STABLE LAYER ASSOCIATED WITH A  
MID-LEVEL RIDGE...AS WELL AS LOW VALUES OF AVAILABLE MOISTURE IN  
THE MID TROPOSPHERE...WILL LIMIT POTENTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS.  
THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY EXPECT 05 - 10MM/DAY AND ISOLATED MAXIMA OF  
15 - 20MM PRIMARILY IN EASTERN SLOPES. THIS DECREASES TO MAXIMA OF  
15MM IN PUERTO RICO ON SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...AND LESSER  
AMOUNTS IN HISPANIOLA.  
 
EASTERN CARIBBEAN: A TRADE WIND SURGE IS FORECAST TO PROPAGATE  
RAPIDLY FROM 55W IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC ON FRIDAY EVENING TO  
REACH THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN NEAR 72W BY SUNDAY EVENING...WHEN IT  
IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE. THIS WILL SET UP A PERIOD OF FASTER WIND  
SPEEDS IN THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AS THE WEEKEND PROGRESSES...TO  
PERSIST INTO NEXT WEEK. IN TERMS OF PRECIPITATION...THE SURGE IS  
EXPECTED TO STIMULATE CONVECTION IN THE LESSER ANTILLES ON  
SATURDAY WHERE IT WILL FAVOR 05 - 10MM/DAY AND ISOLATED MAXIMA OF  
15 - 20MM BETWEEN GUADELOUPE AND TRINIDAD. IN BARBADOS EXPECT  
MAXIMA GENERALLY UNDER 15MM. ON SUNDAY...THE CYCLONIC EXIT OF A  
LOW-LEVEL JET WILL CONTINUE TO STIMULATE ASCENT IN THE WINDWARD  
ISLANDS TO FAVOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED MAXIMA UNDER  
15MM/DAY.  
 
CENTRAL AMERICA: ENHANCED TRADE WIND CONVERGENCE CONTINUES  
STIMULATING PRECIPITATION IN THE CARIBBEAN BASINS OF SOUTHERN  
CENTRAL AMERICA. A MOIST PLUME IS ENTERING SOUTHERN  
NICARAGUA/NORTHERN COSTA RICA ON FRIDAY...WHERE IT WILL FAVOR 10 -  
15MM/DAY AND MAXIMA OF 20 - 45MM...WHILE IN NORTHWEST PANAMA  
EXPECT MAXIMA OF 15 - 20MM. THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO HOLD ON  
SATURDAY. ON SUNDAY...HOWEVER...AN ACCELERATION OF THE MID-LEVEL  
FLOW WILL FAVOR AN INCREASE IN VERTICAL WIND SHEAR....TO RESULT IN  
A DECREASE IN ACCUMULATION.  
 
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: DRY CONTITIONS CONTINUE IN THE REGION DUE  
TO THE PRESENCE OF AN ANOMALOUSLY DRY AIR MASS IN THE LOWER AND  
MID-TROPOSPHERE PARTICULARLY EAST OF THE ANDES AND NORTH OF 02S.  
THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO HOLD THROUGH THE FORECAST  
CYCLE...WHILE MOISTURE GRADUALLY RETURNS NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS  
EQUATORIAL PORTIONS OF THE AMAZON IN BRASIL. THIS WILL FAVOR  
SCATTERED DIURNAL CONVECTION EXPANDING INTO THE COLOMBIA-BRASIL  
AND PERU-BRASIL BORDER BY SUNDAY EVENING. NOTE THAT AN INCREASE IN  
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOLIVIAN HIGH AND ITS WESTWARD MIGRATION  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WILL LIKELY FAVOR A GRADUAL RETURN OF  
MOISTURE AND CONVECTION INTO THE WESTERN AMAZON BY EARLY NEXT  
WEEK. IN THE PACIFIC BASIN...DIURNAL CONVECTION IS CLUSTERING IN  
ECUADOR AND SOUTHERN COLOMBIA...TO PRODUCE GENERALLY 05 - 10MM/DAY  
AND ISOLATED MAXIMA OF 15 - 20MM ON FRIDAY. A PEAK IN  
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST ECUADOR/SOUTHWEST COLOMBIA  
ON SATURDAY EVENING...WHEN EXPECT MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM ALONG THE  
WEST SLOPES OF THE ANDES...DECREASING THEREAFTER.  
 
NEW ARCTIC FRONT: A POTENT ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE  
RAPIDLY INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO ON SATURDAY. BY SATURDAY EVENING  
IT IS FORECAST ACROSS NEW ORLEANS-LOUISIANA INTO CENTRAL  
TAMAULIPAS. BY SUNDAY EVENING IT IS FORECAST ACROSS GRAND  
BAHAMA...SOUTH FLORIDA/FLORIDA KEYS...FAR NORTHWEST  
CUBA...NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA...INTO SOUTHERN VERACRUZ AND  
CENTRAL OAXACA. THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED NORTHERLIES WILL START  
IMPACTING PRECIPITATION ON SUNDAY...GIVEN VERY LIMITED MOISTURE  
AMOUNTS AVAILABLE WHILE IT PROPAGATES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND  
NORTHERN GULF ON MEXICO. ON SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...EXPECT  
10 - 15MM/DAY AND MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM DEVELOPING IN NORTHERN AND  
NORTHEAST SLOPES OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN VERACRUZ...CHIAPAS AND  
TABASCO IN MEXICO. ALSO ON SUNDAY...INTERACTIONS WITH THE  
DIVERGENT SECTION OF AN UPPER TROUGH WILL FAVOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF  
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHEAST YUCATAN PENINSULA AND WEST  
CUBA...WITH POTENTIAL MAXIMA OF 15 - 25MM.  
 
GALVEZ...(WPC)  
 
 
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