181  
FXCA20 KWBC 201443  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
943 AM EST THU FEB 20 2025  
 
WEEKLY DISCUSSION FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE USVI 20 FEBRUARY 2025  
 
TAKING A LOOK AT THE UPPER LEVELS AND THE LARGE SCALE, ON  
THURSDAY, MODEL GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING THE MADDEN-JULIAN  
OSCILLATION (MJO) DIVERGENT PHASE IS LOCATED OVER REGION 8, WHICH  
SUGGESTS IT IS ENTERING CENTRAL AMERICA AND NEARING THE CARIBBEAN  
BASIN. HOWEVER, THE PROPAGATION AND LOCATION OF THE DIVERGENT  
PHASE HAS PRESENTED A MORE DISORGANIZED PATTERN OVER THE PAST  
SEVERAL DAYS AND MODEL GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING THAT THIS WILL  
CONTINUE THIS WEEK AND INTO THE FOLLOWING WORK WEEK. ALTHOUGH  
DISORGANIZED, EXPECT DIVERGENT CONDITIONS IN THE UPPER LEVELS TO  
FAVOR DEEP CONVECTION IF THE CONDITIONS IN THE OTHER LEVELS OF THE  
ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE OVER THE NEXT WEEK.  
 
IN THE SHORT RANGE, ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, THE UPPER LEVEL  
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS CENTERED OVER NORTH COLOMBIA AND EXTENDS OVER  
THE CARIBBEAN BASIN, WHILE A MID-LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS OF THE  
NORTHERN CARIBBEAN FROM THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC, FAVORING A WEAK  
TRADE WIND INVERSION AND THE PRESENCE OF DRY AIR OVER PUERTO  
RICO/VI AND THE NORTH CARIBBEAN. IN THE LOWER LEVELS, MOIST PLUMES  
IN THE TRADE WINDS ARE PROPAGATING WESTWARD OVER THE PUERTO RICO  
AND THE LEEWARD ISLANDS, WHICH COULD BRING SHALLOW CONVECTION WITH  
THEM. MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THAT AVAILABLE MOISTURE CAN INCREASE  
FROM THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY IN THE REGION BUT THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL  
CONDITIONS MAY NOT ASSIST WITH HEAVY PRECIPITATION. EXPECT DAILY  
MAXIMA TO REMAIN BELOW 0.5 INCHES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
 
FROM FRIDAY EVENING INTO SATURDAY, A COLD FRONT IS PROPAGATING  
SOUTHWARD OVER THE BAHAMAS/TURKS AND CAICOS AND DEVELOPING A  
PREFRONTAL SHEAR LINE NORTH OF PUERTO RICO BY EARLY SATURDAY. IN  
ADDITION, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PREFRONTAL TROUGH IS EXPECTED OVER  
THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, EXPECTED TO MOVE  
WESTWARD TO PUERTO RICO FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SUNDAY  
EVENING. IN THE MID TO UPPER LEVELS ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON, A  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO PROPAGATE OVER PUERTO RICO, WHICH  
COULD PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WITH DEEPER CONVECTION AS THE PREFRONTAL  
TROUGH PASSES THE ISLANDS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES COULD REACH  
OVER 1.6 INCHES BY SATURDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY MORNING.  
PRECIPITATION TOTALS WITH THIS EVENT COULD REACH 1 INCH OR MORE  
LOCALLY IN EAST AND NORTHEAST PUERTO RICO, AND POTENTIALLY INTO  
VIEQUES AND CULEBRA BY SUNDAY MORNING.  
 
LOOKING FURTHER INTO THE NEXT WORK WEEK, IN THE UPPER LEVELS, THE  
SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN IN THE BEGINNING OF THE  
WEEK AND THEN STRENGTHEN BY MIDWEEK WHILE A DEEP UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO PROPAGATE SOUTHWARD FROM SOUTH UNITED STATES  
INTO THE WEST CARIBBEAN BY TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. A WEAK TRADE  
WIND INVERSION AND DRY AIR ARE EXPECTED OVER THE FIRST PART OF THE  
WEEK. IN THE LOWER LEVELS, WEAKER MOIST PLUMES ARE EXPECTED TO  
PROPAGATE IN THE EASTERLY TRADE WINDS AND REACH PUERTO RICO/VI BUT  
THE EFFECTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MINIMAL IN TERMS OF RAINFALL  
TOTALS. BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS  
EXPECTED OVER THE ATLANTIC BASIN AND INTO THE BAHAMAS/TURKS AND  
CAICOS, THAT COULD FAVOR A SHIFT IN WIND DIRECTION IN THE LOWER  
LEVELS FROM EAST TO NORTHEAST OVER THE REGION. THE CONFIDENCE  
DECREASES FOR THE LATER PART OF THE FORECAST PERIOD, HOWEVER,  
MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN AGREEMENT THAT AVAILABLE MOISTURE COULD  
INCREASE OVER PORTIONS OF THE NORTH CARIBBEAN BY THE MIDDLE OF  
NEXT WEEK. IN TERMS OF PRECIPITATION, EXPECT SEASONAL DIURNAL  
SHOWERS TO DOMINATE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK, WHILE CHANCES OF  
INCREASED VALUES OF PRECIPITATION IN EAST AND SOUTH PUERTO RICO  
INCREASES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. DAILY PRECIPITATION TOTALS  
ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW 0.5 INCHES OVER THE REGION.  
 
CASTELLANOS...WPC(USA)  
 

 
 
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