976  
FXCA20 KWBC 281754  
PMDCA  
 
TROPICAL DISCUSSION - INTERNATIONAL DESKS  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
154 PM EDT TUE APR 28 2026  
 
FORECAST BULLETIN 28 APRIL 2026 AT 1800 UTC:  
 
THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST DOMAIN IS EXPERIENCING THE EFFECTS OF  
A CONVERGENT PHASE OF THE MADDEN-JULIAN OSCILLATION, FAVORING  
SUBSIDENT CONDITIONS ALOFT. FORECAST GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING THIS  
PATTERN COULD CONTINUE FOR THE REST OF THE WORK WEEK, WHILE A  
KELVIN WAVE IS MOVING OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN ON TUESDAY AND  
POTENTIALLY AFFECTING MEXICO AND NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA BY THE  
END OF THE WORK WEEK.  
 
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA AND SOUTH CENTRAL AMERICA...  
THE REGION OF TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA IS SEEING THE PRESENCE OF AN  
UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT IS CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL  
ATLANTIC AND EXTENDS OVER NORTHERN VENEZUELA, WITH A RIDGE AXIS  
ENTERING INTO SOUTHERN COLOMBIA. IN THE LOWER LEVELS, THE A  
PROPAGATING TROUGH IS MOVING OVER THE ANDEAN REGION OF COLOMBIA,  
ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH LEVELS OF PRECIPITABLE WATER. THIS MOIST FLOW  
WILL SEE OROGRAPHIC LIFT AND ENHANCED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE,  
FAVORING DEEP CONVECTION THROUGHOUT THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THIS  
RELEASE OF LATENT HEAT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE WILL FAVOR AN  
ENHANCEMENT OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE, AND THE TROUGH WILL BUILD  
ITS OWN OUTFLOW IN THE UPPER LEVELS. THIS SYSTEM WILL THEN ENHANCE  
THE RIDGE OVER COLOMBIA AND VENEZUELA, RESTRUCTURING THE UPPER  
LEVEL PATTERN INTO WEDNESDAY. THE LOW LEVEL TROUGH WILL INTERACT  
WITH THE SEMI-STATIONARY CYCLONIC ROTATION OVER THE GULF OF  
PANAMA, FAVORING MOIST ONSHORE FLOW INTO INTO WESTERN COLOMBIA AND  
NORTHWEST ECUADOR ON TUESDAY. MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY  
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED IN ALONG THE PACIFIC COASTAL REGIONS. ON  
WEDNESDAY, THE LOW LEVEL TROUGH IS MOVING SLOWLY OVER THE ANDEAN  
REGION OF COLOMBIA, CONTINUING TO ENHANCE THE CYCLONIC ROTATION  
OVER THE REGION, WHILE PROVIDING AMPLE MOISTURE CONVERGENCE IN THE  
LOWER LEVELS AS THIS FLOW INTERACTS WITH THE VALLEYS AND OROGRAPHY  
OF THE REGION. EXPECT THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO ENHANCE  
AND REORGANIZE OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO THE NORTHERN SOUTH  
AMERICA. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE WESTERN  
COLOMBIA AND ECUADOR COASTS. SOME OF THE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION  
ASSOCIATED WITH THE WIDER TROUGHING REGIME IN THE REGION WILL  
BRING MOIST ONSHORE INTO NORTHERN PANAMA AND EAST COSTA RICA BY  
WEDNESDAY EVENING. THIS REGION CAN EXPECT MODERATE TO LOCALLY  
HEAVY PRECIPITATION. BY THURSDAY, THE PROPAGATING TROUGH IS  
EXPECTED TO ENTER THE GULF OF PANAMA AND BE INTRODUCED TO WARM SEA  
SURFACE TEMPERATURES, FAVORING ENHANCED CONVECTION OVER COSTA  
RICA, PANAMA, COLOMBIA, AND PORTIONS OF ECUADOR. THE REGION COULD  
CONTINUE TO SEE MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION.  
 
CARIBBEAN AND THE BAHAMAS...  
IN THE UPPER LEVELS, AN UPPER TROUGH IS PRESENT OVER THE WEST  
CARIBBEAN AND ENTERING INTO CENTRAL AMERICA, WEAKENING THROUGHOUT  
THE DAY ON TUESDAY AS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROUGH  
PROPAGATES EAST AND THE SOUTHERN PORTION OVER CENTRAL AMERICA IS  
WEAKENED DUE TO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DEVELOPING OVER  
NORTHWESTERN SOUTH AMERICA. BY TUESDAY EVENING, A FRONTAL BOUNDARY  
OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC OCEAN EXTENDS JUST NORTH OF PUERTO RICO  
AND WEAKENING OVER HISPANIOLA AND PORTIONS OF CUBA. A WEAK  
PREFRONTAL TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER PUERTO RICO/VI, ENHANCING UNSTABLE  
CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND FAVORING LIGHT TO MODERATE  
PRECIPITATION ON TUESDAY. INSTABILITY IS ALSO EXPECTED OVER  
HISPANIOLA WITH THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE WEAK TROUGH OVER THE  
REGION. EXPECT LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION AS MOISTURE LEVELS  
ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN MODERATE. ON WEDNESDAY, THE REMNANTS OF THE  
FRONTAL BOUNDARY ENTER HISPANIOLA THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ENHANCED BY  
OROGRAPHIC LIFT, FAVORING MODERATE PRECIPITATION TOTALS THROUGHOUT  
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND HAITI. BY THURSDAY, A RESTRUCTURING OF  
THE MID TO UPPER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ENHANCES THE PRESENCE OF  
DRY AIR AND TRADE WIND INVERSION CAPS OVER MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN.  
THIS WILL FAVOR DRIER CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION, WITH LIGHT  
PRECIPITATION EXPECTED OVER THE GREATER ANTILLES.  
 
MEXICO AND NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA...  
THE REGION IS EXPECTED TO BE DOMINATED BY A POTENT MID TO UPPER  
LEVEL RIDGE FUELING SUBSIDENCE AND TRADE WIND INVERSIONS  
THROUGHOUT FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. IN ADDITION, THE LACK OF  
MOISTURE IN THE REGION WILL FAVOR LOCALIZED DIURNAL SHOWERS, WITH  
TOTALS REMAINING AS A TRACE TO LIGHT TOTALS. THE POTENT RIDGE  
MEANDERS TO THE EAST CONTINUING TO FAVOR SIMILAR CONDITIONS OVER  
MUCH OF THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY. BY THURSDAY, A MID TO UPPER LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES EXTENDS INTO  
NORTHWEST MEXICO, DISRUPTING THE MID TO UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER  
MEXICO. THIS WILL BEGIN WEAKENING THE MID TO UPPER RIDGE, FAVORING  
LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION OVER THE NORTHERN MEXICO REGION,  
ENHANCED BY THE DIVERGENCE OF THE UPPER TROUGH PROPAGATING DURING  
THE DAY.  
 
CASTELLANOS...(WPC)  
 
 
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