268  
FXSA20 KWBC 171647  
PMDSA  
 
SOUTH AMERICA FORECAST DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
1246 PM EDT MON MAR 17 2025  
 
GFS DATA AT FTPPRD.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/DATA/NCCF/COM/GFS/PROD/  
 
SOUTH AMERICAN FORECAST BULLETIN FROM 17 MARCH 2025 AT 18 UTC  
 
ANALYSIS AND FORECAST OF LARGE SCALE CONDITIONS  
 
MJO AND TROPOSPHERIC WAVES: THE MJO IS PROPAGATING ACROSS PHASE 3,  
WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CURRENT LARGE SCALE UPPER CONVERGENCE  
ESTABLISHED OVER SOUTH AMERICA. A TROPOSPHERIC KELVIN WAVE IS  
PROPAGATING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC, BUT IT IS NOT FORECAST TO  
ARRIVE UNTIL THE WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT, WHEN IT IS LIKELY TO PROVIDE  
SOME MINOR ENHANCEMENT TO AREAS AND THE INTENSITY OF DEEP  
CONVECTION IN TROPICAL PORTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA.  
 
SST: IMPORTANT POSITIVE ANOMALIES CONTINUE ALONG EQUATORIAL  
PORTIONS OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND NOW HAVE EXTENDED INTO THE  
GULF OF PANAMA. NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THESE WARM ANOMALIES ARE  
MOSTLY SUPERFICIAL AND COULD BE RAPIDLY ALTERED BY CHANGES IN  
SURFACE WINDS. IN FACT, COOL ANOMALIES HAVE EMERGED ALONG THE  
PERUVIAN COAST IN RESPONSE TO STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY TRADES IN THE  
LAST FEW DAYS.  
 
SYNOPTIC ANALYSIS AND FORECAST FOR TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA  
 
ANALYSIS: THE SUBTROPICAL UPPER RIDGE IS CENTERING IN TWO CELLS.  
ONE IS LOCATED OFF THE COAST OF SOUTHERN PERU WHILE THE OTHER  
ELONGATES ZONALLY OVER SOUTHEAST BRASIL. THE IMPACT OF THESE  
RIDGES IN VENTILATING CONVECTION IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED BY THE  
PRESENCE OF A MID-LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING OVER SOUTHEAST  
BOLIVIA/NORTHERN PARAGUAY INTO ESPIRITO SANTO IN BRASIL. THE MOST  
ACTIVE CONVECTION AND PRECIPITATION IS OCCURRING IN ASSOCIATION  
WITH THE ITCZ AND NET IN EQUATORIAL PORTIONS OF SOUTH AMERICA,  
PARTICULARLY ALONG THE NORTH COAST OF BRASIL INTO FAR NORTHWEST  
BRASIL, SOUTHERN VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA. THE PACIFIC BASIN OF  
ECUADOR CONTINUES EXPERIECING DIURNAL CONVECTION, BUT STRONG UPPER  
DIVERGENCE IN THE SOUTHEAST FLANK OF THE SUBEQUATORIAL RIDGE, HAS  
FAVORED A NORTHWARD EXTENSION OF AREAS OF DEEP CONVECTION INTO  
COLOMBIA DURING THE LAST FEW DAYS.  
 
WESTERN TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA FORECAST: THE WESTERN CELL OF THE  
SUBTROPICAL UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO REMAIN OFF THE COAST OF  
SOUTHERN PERU THROUGH THE FORECAST CYCLE. LOW-LEVEL WINDS IN THE  
AMAZON BASIN ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP A NORTHEASTERLY CONPONENT,  
WHICH WILL TRANSPORT HIGHER VALUES OF PRECIPITABLE WATER INTO  
SOUTHERN AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE AMAZON BY WEDNESDAY. THIS, IN  
COMBINATION WITH A DECREASE IN UPPER DIVERGENCE OVER COLOMBIA,  
WILL YIELD TO A GENERAL SHIFT OF THE AREAS OF HEAVIEST  
PRECIPITATION FROM THE NORTHWEST AMAZON/COLOMBIA/VENEZUELA EARLY  
IN THE CYCLE TO PERU/ORIENTE ECUATORIANO, NORTH BOLIVIA AND WEST  
BRASIL BY WEDNESDAY. HIGHER VALUES OF AVAILABLE MOISTURE BY  
MID-WEEK WILL ALSO FAVOR A SLIGHT INCREASE IN ACCUMULATION IN  
DIURNAL CONVECTION ACROSS THE ALTIPLANO AND ANDES OF PERU,  
ALTHOUGH SEASONAL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED. IN THE PACIFIC BASINS OF  
ECUADOR/FAR NORTHWEST PERU, VARIABILITY IN THE LOW-LEVEL WINDS  
WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A ROLE IN MODULATING DIURNAL CONVECTION.  
ENHANCED ONSHORE FLOW AND HIGHER VALUES OF PRECIPITABLE WATER ARE  
EXPECTED ON MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY, WHICH WOULD LIKELY YIELD TO  
HIGHER ACCUMULATION DURING THESE DAYS.  
 
IMPORTANT RAINFALL ACCUMULATION FORECASTS:  
-PACIFIC BASIN OF ECUADOR: ON MONDAY, MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM,  
DECREASING TO MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM ON TUESDAY, INCREASING AGAIN TO  
MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM ON WEDNESDAY.  
-WESTERN AMAZON: INCREASE TO MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM FROM COLOMBIA  
INTO NORTH PERU ON TUESDAY, WHILE IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON/ACRE  
EXPECT MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM. ON WEDNESDAY EXPECT MAXIMA OF 25 -  
50MM FROM SOUTHWEST COLOMBIA/ORIENTE ECUATORIANO INTO CENTRAL  
PERU/ACRE, WHILE IN SOUTH PERU, NORTH BOLIVIA AND RONDONIA EXPECT  
MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM.  
-ALTIPLANO/PERUVIAN ANDES: GRADUAL INCREASE TO SUSTAIN SEASONAL  
DAILY ACCUMULATIONS BY WEDNESDAY.  
-CENTRAL AMAZON BASIN: MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM IN NW BRASIL ON MONDAY  
AND MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM IN PARA. MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM IN PARA/EAST  
AMAZONAS ON TUESDAY. MAXIMA OF 20 - 45MM ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
EASTERN AND SOUTHERN TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA FORECAST: A SYSTEM OF  
INTEREST IS A MID-UPPER TROUGH PROPAGATING IN EXTRATROPICAL SOUTH  
AMERICA ALONG 70-67W AND SOUTH OF 25S ON MONDAY. THIS TROUGH IS  
FORECAST TO START AMPLIFYING ACROSS PARAGUAY AND SOUTHEAST BOLIVIA  
LATE ON TUESDAY. AS IT AMPLIFIES, IT WILL AID WITH THE VENTILATION  
OF CONVECTION FROM SOUTHERN BOLIVIA INTO MINAS GERAIS/ESPIRITO  
SANTO ON TUESDAY. DURING WEDNESDAY IT IS FORECAST TO PROPAGATE  
ACROSS SOUTHERN AND SOUTHWEST BRASIL, PLACING ITS DIVERGENT TIER  
OVER SOUTHEAST BRASIL. THIS WILL FAVOR LOCALLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION  
IN EASTERN RIO DE JANEIRO, SOUTHEAST MINAS GERAIS AND ESPIRITO  
SANTO IN COMBINATION WITH A WEAK SURFACE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED  
SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE SERRA DO MAR OF SAO PAULO AND RIO DE  
JANEIRO. FURTHER NORTH, EXPECT ACTIVE CONVECTION TO PERSIST ACROSS  
THE NORTH COAST OF BRASIL AND INTERIOR NORDESTE ALTHOUGH A MILD  
DECREASING TREND IN ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. CONVERSELY, AN  
INCREASE IN LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE IN CENTRAL BRASIL WILL FAVOR A MILD  
INCREASING TREND IN DIURNAL CONVECTION, TO FAVOR SEASONAL  
ACCUMULATION.  
 
IMPORTANT RAINFALL TOTAL FORECASTS:  
NORTH COAST OF BRASIL/NORTHERN NORDESTE: MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM ON  
MONDAY, DECREASING TO MAXIMA OF 20 - 40MM THEREAFTER.  
BOLIVIA/PARAGUAY: MAXIMA OF 20 - 45MM IN CENTRAL BOLIVIA AND WEST  
PARAGUAY/FAR NORTH ARGENTINA ON MONDAY. ON TUESDAY EXPECT MAXIMA  
OF 25 - 50MM IN SOUTH BOLIVIA AND NORTH PARAGUAY/PANTANAL, WHILE  
IN CENTRLA PARAGUAY AND CENTRAL MATO GROSSO DO SUL EXPECT MAXIMA  
OF 20 - 40MM, DECREASING THEREAFTER.  
SOUTHEAST BRASIL: MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY,  
INCREASING TO 25 - 50MM IN RIO DE JANEIRO, EAST SAO PAULO AND  
SOUTHEAST MINAS GERAIS ON WEDNESDAY.  
 
SYNOPTIC ANALYSIS AND FORECAST FOR EXTRATROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA:  
 
ANALYSIS: AN UPPER TROUGH IS CROSSING PATAGONIA ON MONDAY EXERTING  
LIMITED EFFECTS ON REGIONAL PRECIPITATION. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE  
UPPER TROUGH IS PROPAGATING EASTWARD ACROSS THE RIO DE LA PLATA.  
THIS IS SUSTAINING WEAK CYCLOGENESIS OFF THE COAST OF URUGUAY AND  
THE BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, WITH LIMITED IMPACTS IN CONTINENTAL  
PRECIPITATION. AN EXCEPTION IS ONSHORE FLOW IN RIO GRANDE DO SUL,  
WHICH IS STIMULATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIURNAL CONVECTION IN THE  
LAGOA DOS PATOS REGION. OF INTEREST, ANOTHER MID-UPPER TROUGH IS  
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WHILE PROPAGATING ALONG 100W AND SOUTH  
OF 38S. IT ASSOCIATES WITH AN ATMOSPHERIC RIVER THAT CONTAINS  
TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES EXCEEDING 25MM, AND WILL LIKELY  
HAVE IMPACTS IN AUSTRAL CHILE ON TUESDAY.  
 
FORECAST: THE PRIMARY SYSTEM OF INTEREST FOR PRECIPITATION IS THE  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER, FORECAST TO ENTER AUSTRAL CHILE ON TUESDAY  
MORNING, ACCOMPANIED BY A NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORT WAVE UPPER  
TROUGH. THIS WILL FAVOR A PEAK IN ACCUMULATION ON TUESDAY THROUGH  
EARLY WEDNESDAY, WHEN EXPECT AMOUNTS OF XX - XXMM/DAY AND MAXIMA  
OF XXMM. ALTHOUGH THE MAIN EVENT IS FORECAST TO FADE THEREAFTER,  
COLD AIR CUMULUS SOUTH OF THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER WILL FAVOR  
INTERMITTENT PRECIPITATION ON AUSTRAL CHILE ON WEDNESDAY INTO  
EARLY THURSDAY, WHEN EXPECT MAXIMA IN THE XX - XXMM/DAY RANGE.  
OTHERWISE, EXPECT GENERALLY DRY CONDITIONS IN AREAS SOUTH OF  
NORTHERN ARGENTINA AND SOUTHEAST PARAGUAY, GIVEN LIMITED AMOUNTS  
OF AVAILABLE MOISTURE THROUGH THE FORECAST CYCLE.  
 
IMPORTANT RAINFALL TOTAL FORECASTS:  
AUSTRAL CHILE: MAXIMA OF 25 - 50MM DEVELOPING ON TUESDAY AS  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER ARRIVES. DECREASES TO MAXIMA OF 20 - 35MM ON  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
FOR ASSOCIATED QPF GRAPHICAL INFORMATION:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/INTERNATIONAL/SAM_DAY1-3.SHTML  
 
GALVEZ...(WPC)  
LEDESMA...(WPC)  
 

 
 
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