Special Features

South-Central Caribbean Gale Warning: A tight pressure gradient between high pressure SE of Bermuda and lower pressure over northwest Colombia is supporting gale force ENE winds offshore Colombia near Barranquilla early this morning, along with seas of up to 11 ft (3. 5 m). The gradient will relax later today as the high pressure moves farther east, allowing gales to end.

Please read the latest High Seas and Offshore Waters Forecasts issued by the National Hurricane Center at website: https: //www. nhc. noaa. gov/text/MIAHSFAT2. shtml and https: //www. nhc. noaa. gov/marine/offshores. php for more details on these events.

Monsoon Trough Itcz

The monsoon trough enters the Atlantic near the coastal border of Guinea and Sierra Leone near 09N23W, then continues to 02N22W. The ITCZ continues from 02N22W to 00N32W. Scattered moderate to strong convection is evident from 00N to 02N between 29W and 32W.

Gulf Of America

A nearly stationary front resides along the northern Gulf coast from the Florida Panhandle to Deep South Texas. South of this boundary, a 1025 mb high pressure centered near 26N92W is dominating the weather over the basin. A generally light, anticyclonic flow is established over the basin, except for gentle NE winds in the eastern Bay of Campeche. Seas are 3 ft or less.

For the forecast, high pressure will remain in control of the weather pattern across the Gulf waters through Fri, bringing light to gentle SE winds. Southerly winds will increase to moderate to fresh speeds Fri night ahead of a cold front that will moves cross the west and central waters Sat night and Sun. Strong winds and rough seas are possible in the northern Gulf with this frontal system.

Caribbean Sea

See the Special Features section above on a Gale Warning.

A surface trough that extends along 68W through the Mona Passage is leading to scattered moderate convection within 120 nm south of Puerto Rico. Otherwise, dry conditions prevail, with moderate to fresh trades across most of the basin, with the except of the NW, where gentle to moderate NE to E winds are ongoing. Seas are 5 to 7 ft in the central and eastern basin, 5 to 9 ft in the SW, and 3 to 5 ft in the NW.

For the forecast, gale-force winds will end early this morning offshore Colombia, but will pulse to near gale-force again tonight due to the pressure gradient between the Colombia/Panamanian low and high pressure centered N of the region. Winds will continue to pulse to strong nightly thereafter. Elsewhere, moderate to fresh trades will prevail through the weekend.

Atlantic Ocean

Large NW swell over the central Atlantic continues to decay this morning and seas have now fallen below 12 ft. Still, the long- period-swell is leading to widespread rough seas of 8-11 ft for all waters E of 60W. Across the same area, S of 25N, moderate to fresh trades dominate. A dissipating cold stationary front from 31N31W to 25N45W separates two high pressure centers that are providing waters N of 25N with mainly gentle winds.

Waters W of 60W and S of 25N are being dominated by ridging associated with the western high pressure, centered near 30N50W with 1022 mb. This is inducing gentle winds above moderate seas. N of 25N, SW winds have increased to strong ahead of a cold front that is sagging southward to just N of the area. Already rough seas in this area of strong winds continue to build.

For the forecast west of 55W, the cold front will enter NW waters this morning. Ahead of the front, strong SW to W winds will prevail N of 28N, along with rough to very rough seas. These hazardous conditions will spread east through tonight, then diminish Fri as the front weakens. By Fri night the cold front will extend from near 31N55W to the SE Bahamas, and the boundary will sag SE and out of the area Sat night. On Sun, S winds will increase to strong offshore Florida, in advance of another cold front that will move off the SE U. S. coast Mon.

Posted about 3 hours ago by NHC Forecaster Konarik