129  
FXCA20 KWBC 131206  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
805 AM EDT THU MAR 13 2025  
 
WEEKLY DISCUSSION FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE USVI 13 MARCH 2025  
 
SUMMARY: UNSEASONABLY WET CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT  
SEVERAL DAYS IN ASSOCIATION WITH A SLOW-MOVING SURFACE FRONT  
INTERACTING WITH DYNAMICS IN THE BASE OF UPPER TROUGHS PROPAGATING  
IN THE REGION. A NEW FRONT IS LIKELY TO ENTER THE REGION BY  
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK, BUT CONFIDENCE ON THE EVOLUTION IS  
TOO LOW AT THIS TIME.  
 
LARGE SCALE ANALYSIS AND CURRENT CONDITIONS: THE LARGE SCALE  
PATTERN SHOWS A WIDE AREA OF ENHANCED UPPER CONVERGENCE OVER THE  
EASTERN PACIFIC, EXTENDING INTO THE CARIBBEAN, PARTIALLY IN  
ASSOCIATION WITH THE MJO. THIS IS IN PHASE WITH THE PRESENCE OF A  
DRY AIR MASS OVER THE ENTIRE CARIBBEAN, WHICH IS FAVORING  
SEASONALLY DRY CONDITIONS OVER MOST OF THE BASIN. HOWEVER, PUERTO  
RICO, THE VI AND HISPANIOLA ARE EXPERIENCING A MUCH WETTER PATTERN  
GIVEN THE INFLUENCE OF A SLOW-MOVING SURFACE FRONT AND THE  
ASSOCIATED MOIST PLUME. THE PLUME ASSOCIATES WITH TOTAL  
PRECIPITABLE WATER (TPW) VALUES NEARING 1.8 INCHES, WHICH ARE WELL  
ABOVE THE NORMALS FEXPECTED FOR MID-MARCH. CURRENT SATELLITE  
IMAGERY SHOW CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT EXTENDING ALONG  
20N 63W, AGUADILLA AND INTO THE ISLA SAONA REGION IN THE SOUTHEAST  
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. THE SAN JUAN RADAR INDICATES MODERATE RAIN  
SHOWERS OCCURRING OFF THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH-CENTRAL COASTS OF  
PUERTO RICO, WHILE WEAKER SHOWERS ARE ENTERING COASTAL AREAS.  
 
FORECAST THROUGH LATE SATURDAY: UNSEASONABLY WET CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED DUE TO THE FRONT MOVING LITTLE. TPW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN  
ABOVE 1.4 INCHES THROUGH SATURDAY, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO YIELD TO  
THE LARGEST ACCUMULATION DURING THIS PERIOD. THE LARGEST RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR ON FRIDAY, WHEN INTERACTIONS WITH THE  
BASE OF AN UPPER TROUGH ARE LIKELY TO FAVOR THE LARGEST RAINFALL  
RATES AND A PEAK IN THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS. ON THURSDAY,  
LOW-LEVEL NORTHEASTERLY TRADES WILL LIKELY ENHANCE PRECIPITATION  
ALONG THE ENTIRE NORTH COAST OF PUERTO RICO DURING THE MORNING AND  
ALONG THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CORDILLERA IN THE AFTERNOON/EARLY  
EVENING. FRONTAL CONVECTION AND PRECIPITATION IS FORECAST TO REACH  
THE NORTHERN VI AND VIEQUES/CULEBRA DURING THE AFTERNOON EVENING  
AND PERSIST INTO OVERNIGHT HOURS. OVERALL, EXPECT MAXIMA IN THE  
0.5-1.5 INCH RANGE, ALTHOUGH VERY ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE  
POSSIBLE DUE TO OROGRAPHIC INTERACTIONS. ON FRIDAY, ENHANCEMENT BY  
THE UPPER TROUGH WILL FAVOR DEEPER CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AND A  
PEAK IN ACCUMULATION IN INTERIOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN PUERTO RICO.  
IN THE LOW-LEVELS, WEAKER WINDS AND A TROUGH WILL STIMULATE  
DEVELOPMENT IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN PUERTO RICO. EXPECT MAXIMA IN  
THE 1-1.5 INCH RANGE, AND VERY ISOLATED AMOUNTS APPROACHING THE  
2-2.5 IN RANGE IN THUNDERSTORMS. ON SATURDAY, A RETURN OF THE  
NORTHEASTERLY TRADES WILL TRANSPORT THE MOIST PLUME SOUTHWARD,  
YIELDING TO A DRYING TREND IN WESTERN PUERTO RICO. EXPECT THE  
LARGEST ACCUMULATIONS IN INTERIOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN PUERTO RICO  
WHERE EXPECT MAXIMA IN THE 1-1.5 INCH RANGE.  
 
SUNDAY AND MONDAY: DURING SUNDAY INTO MONDAY, THE ADVECTION OF A  
DRIER AIR MASS FROM THE NORTH WILL FAVOR A GENERAL DECREASE IN  
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS. YET NORTHEASTERLY LOW-LEVEL WINDS WILL  
FAVOR SCATTERED SHOWERS IN MOST OF NORTHEAST, EASTERN AND CENTRAL  
PUERTO RICO AS WELL AS THE WESTERN VI, WHERE EXPECT MAXIMA IN THE  
0.4 - 0.6 INCH/DAY.  
 
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY: A NEW FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH FROM  
THE NORTH SOMETIME BETWEEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. YET, MODEL  
DISCREPANCIES ON THE EVOLUTION OF THIS SYSTEM ARE SIGNIFICANT. AT  
THE CURRENT TIME, IT APPEARS THAT THE LARGEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS  
WITH THIS NEW FRONT ARE LIKELY DURING WEDNESDAY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN  
INTERACTIONS WITH A POTENT UPPER TROUGH FORECAST TO EXTENDS ITS  
AXIS SOMEWHERE NEAR HISPANIOLA. THIS POSITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN  
THE FRONTAL MOIST PLUME AND THE DIVERGENT TIER OF THE UPPER TROUGH  
COULD FAVOR MODERATE RAINFALL AMOUNTS. YET, CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW,  
PLUS BOTH SEASONALITY AND LARGE SCALE UPPER CONVERGENCE ARE  
AGAINST A SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT.  
 
GALVEZ...WPC (USA)  
 

 
 
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