774  
FXCA20 KWBC 181638  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
1237 PM EDT TUE MAR 18 2025  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 18 MARCH 2025 AT 1640 UTC:  
   
..MEXICO...AND CENTRAL AMERICA
 
 
ON TUESDAY, AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES  
WILL EXTEND WITH ITS BASE INTO EXTREME NORTHWEST MEXICO, WHILE TO  
THE SOUTH, AN UPPER RIDGE CONTINUES OVER THE REGION MEANDERING  
OVER MOST OF MEXICO AND INTO CENTRAL AMERICA BY TUESDAY EVENING.  
OVER THE WEST CARIBBEAN A DEEP UPPER TROUGH HAS ITS BASE IN THE  
SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CARIBBEAN BASIN AND CONTINUES PROPAGATING  
EASTWARD OVER THE CARIBBEAN BASIN. IN THE LOWER LEVELS, A COLD  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE  
SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES EXTENDS INTO WEST COAHUILA, BUT REMAINS  
RELATIVELY DRY IN THE REGION AS AVAILABLE MOISTURE IS LOW,  
EXPECTED TO BE BELOW 20MM IN PRECIPITABLE WATER IN NORTHERN  
MEXICO. TO THE SOUTH, A WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH  
THE CARIBBEAN UPPER TROUGH, IS EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL HONDURAS,  
WHERE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES OF OVER 40MM ARE EXPECTED TO  
INTERACT WITH THE TERRAIN AS THE FLOW IS ANTICIPATED FROM THE EAST  
AND NORTHEAST FROM THE GOLFO DE HONDURAS REGION AND INTO EASTERN  
NICARAGUA. ON WEDNESDAY, THE NORTHERN COLD FRONT ENTERS MEXICO  
THROUGH NORTHERN VERACRUZ AND EXTENDS NORTHWARD ALONG THE SIERRA  
MADRE ORIENTAL, WHERE IT IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN STATIONARY BY  
WEDNESDAY EVENING. MOISTURE IN THE REGION IS BEGINNING TO  
INCREASE, HOWEVER, NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TOTALS ARE  
ANTICIPATED AS PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN  
BELOW 35MM. ISOLATED SHOWERS IN NORTHERN VERACRUZ COULD LEAVE A  
TRACE AMOUNT ON WEDNESDAY. TO THE SOUTH IN CENTRAL AMERICA, MOIST  
PLUMES EMBEDDED IN THE EASTERLY TRADE WINDS CONTINUE THE CARIBBEAN  
COASTS FROM EAST NICARAGUA THROUGH PANAMA. THE GREATEST IMPACT  
FROM THESE MOIST PLUMES ARE EXPECTED IN EASTERN NICARAGUA AS  
VALUES IN PRECIPITABLE WATER ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED 45MM ALONG THE  
EASTERN REGION OF THE COUNTRY. ON THURSDAY, THE COLD FRONT IS  
EXPECTED OVER FROM THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF THE UNITED STATES,  
TROUGH FLORIDA, AND ENTER THE YUCATAN PENINSULA, WHERE IT WILL  
BECOME STATIONARY ALONG CENTRAL GUATEMALA, AND WEAKEN IN THE  
SIERRA MADRE ORIENTAL REGION. AN INCREASE IN PRECIPITABLE WATER IS  
EXPECTED FROM SOUTHERN VERACRUZ THROUGH CENTRAL GUATEMALA,  
SUGGESTING THAT THIS MOIST FLOW WILL INTERACT WITH THE TERRAIN AND  
FAVOR MODERATE PRECIPITATION ON THURSDAY. CONDITIONS IN CENTRAL  
AMERICA ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN RELATIVELY DRY, WITH THE EXCEPTION  
OF SOME ADVECTION OF MOISTURE IN EAST NICARAGUA AND EAST PANAMA.  
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION ARE NOT EXPECTED.  
 
FOR TUESDAY, EXPECT MAXIMA OF 20-45MM FROM EXTREME SOUTH BELIZE TO  
EXTREME NORTHWEST HONDURAS, AND MAXIMA OF 15-20MM FROM THE  
HONDURAS BAY ISLANDS INTO CENTRAL HONDURAS. EASTERN NICARAGUA INTO  
THE PROVIDENCIA AND SAN ANDRES ISLANDS CAN EXPECT MAXIMA OF  
15-25MM. ON WEDNESDAY, EAST NICARAGUA CAN EXPECT MAXIMA OF  
15-20MM. ON THURSDAY, NORTH CHIAPAS CAN EXPECT MAXIMA OF 30-60MM,  
WHILE SOUTH VERACRUZ CAN EXPECT MAXIMA OF 20-35MM. FROM TABASCO TO  
CENTRAL GUATEMALA EXPECT MAXIMA OF 15-25MM. GENERALIZED MAXIMA OF  
15-20MM ARE EXPECTED IN NICARAGUA AND EAST PANAMA.  
   
..CARIBBEAN BASIN
 
 
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH IS EXPECTED IN THE WEST CARIBBEAN, WHILE THE  
EAST CARIBBEAN SEES THE PRESENCE OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE THAT  
EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC OCEAN BY TUESDAY EVENING. IN THE  
LOWER LEVELS, A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDS INTO HISPANIOLA FROM THE  
NORTH AND REACHES THE EASTERN SHORES OF HONDURAS. A SECOND FRONTAL  
BOUNDARY REMAINS STATIONARY OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC AND REMAINS  
TO THE EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. A SHEAR LINE ASSOCIATED WITH  
THE FRONT IS PRESENT IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA, EXTENDING INTO THE ABC  
ISLANDS AND NEAR THE LAKE MARACAIBO REGION BY TUESDAY EVENING. THE  
UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO PROPAGATE EASTWARD QUICKLY, WEAKENING  
OVER THE CARIBBEAN BASIN AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE STRENGTHENS OVER  
THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC FROM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY. THIS SHIFT WILL  
FAVOR WEAKER FRONTAL BOUNDARIES OVER THE GREATER ANTILLES BY  
THURSDAY. A SHEAR LINE REMAINS OVER THE CARIBBEAN SEA, WHERE ITS  
NORTHEASTERN TIP WILL MEANDER OVER THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ON  
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS, MOISTURE IS  
EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW 35MM OVER THE GREATER ANTILLES, BUT THE  
LESSER ANTILLES MAY SEE VALUES NEARING 50MM ALONG THE SHEAR LINE  
OVER THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. HOWEVER, SUPPORT FROM THE UPPER LEVELS  
FOR DEEP CONVECTION REMAINS WEAK AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS  
EXPECTED TO REMAIN LOW.  
 
ON TUESDAY, EXPECT MAXIMA BELOW 10MM IN HISPANIOLA, PUERTO RICO,  
AND THE CENTRAL LESSER ANTILLES. ON WEDNESDAY, SIMILAR AMOUNTS ARE  
EXPECTED IN THE CENTRAL LESSER ANTILLES. ON THURSDAY, EXPECT  
MAXIMA OF 15MM IN THE LEEWARD ISLANDS.  
   
..TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA
 
 
THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS OVER AND NEAR THE TROPICAL REGION OF SOUTH  
AMERICA ARE EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE NEXT THREE DAYS,  
PROVIDING THE VENTILATION IN THE UPPER LEVELS OVER THE AMAZON  
BASIN FOR DEEP CONVECTION AS THEY INTERACT. THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE  
OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC HAS AN AXIS OVER THE NORTHEAST PORTION  
OF THE CONTINENT, WHILE THE BOLIVIAN HIGH EXTENDS INTO THE WESTERN  
AMAZON BASIN WITH ITS CENTER JUST OFFSHORE SOUTH PERU ON TUESDAY  
EVENING. IN THE LOWER LEVELS, MOIST PLUMES PROPAGATING ALONG THE  
ITCZ/NET PROPAGATE WESTWARD OVER THE AMAZON RIVER BASIN, PROVIDING  
THE TRIGGER FOR CONVECTION. IN WEST COLOMBIA/ECUADOR, MOIST  
ONSHORE FLOW ENTERS THE REGION AND FAVORS MODERATE PRECIPITATION  
TOTALS, WHILE HAVING UPPER DIFFLUENCE ON TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.  
BY WEDNESDAY EVENING, THE TWO UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS HAVE  
STRENGTHENED, MEANDERING CLOSER INTO THE CONTINENT AND THEIR  
PERIPHERIES INTERACT MORE OVER THE CENTRAL AMAZON BASIN.  
SIMILARLY, THE MOIST ONSHORE FLOW INTO WEST COLOMBIA/ECUADOR  
ENCOUNTERS DIVERGENCE FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE BOLIVIAN HIGH. BY  
THURSDAY, THE UPPER LEVEL SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO MEANDER CLOSER,  
ENHANCING THE VENTILATION OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST  
REGION. TO THE EAST, THE PRESENCE OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE IS  
FAVORING SUBSIDENCE, WHILE IN THE LOWER LEVELS, DRIER AIR IS BEING  
ADVECTED INTO THE GUIANAS ALONG THE EASTERLY TRADE WINDS.  
 
IN TERMS OF PRECIPITATION, EXPECT MAXIMA OF 30-60MM IN  
AMAZONAS-BRASIL. WHILE MAXIMA OF 20-40MM ARE EXPECTED FROM WEST  
COLOMBIA TO ECUADOR, AND IN THE AMAZON DELTA. GENERALIZED MAXIMA  
OF 15-35MM ARE EXPECTED IN NORTH COLOMBIA INTO WEST VENEZUELA AND  
IN WEST PARA ON TUESDAY. ON WEDNESDAY, EXPECT MAXIMA OF 30-60MM IN  
EXTREME NORTHWEST AMAZON BASIN, WHILE MAXIMA OF 25-50MM ARE  
EXPECTED FROM SOUTHWEST COLOMBIA INTO NORTHWEST ECUADOR, AND THE  
CENTRAL AMAZON BASIN. MAXIMA OF 20-35MM ARE EXPECTED FROM THE LAKE  
MARACAIBO REGION INTO CENTRAL COLOMBIA, NORTHWEST PERU, AND THE  
AMAZON DELTA REGION. ON THURSDAY, MAXIMA OF 30-60MM ARE EXPECTED  
IN THE WEST AMAZON BASIN, AND MAXIMA OF 25-50MM IN WEST COLOMBIA.  
GENERALIZED MAXIMA OF 20-40MM ARE EXPECTED IN NORTH COLOMBIA, WEST  
ECUADOR, AND THE AMAZON DELTA REGION.  
 
FOR A GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION AND DETAILS OF THE AREAS WITH  
FORECAST RAINFALL:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/INTERNATIONAL/CRB_DAY1-3.SHTML  
 
CASTELLANOS...(WPC)  
 

 
 
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