Special Features

Gulf of America Gale Warning: A cold front will reach the NW Gulf late tonight, supporting strong to near gale-force N-NE winds and rough seas behind the front. The front will reach from Apalachicola, Florida, to Tampico, Mexico, Sat night, from near Fort Myers, Florida, to the central Bay of Campeche Sun afternoon, then exit the basin by Sun night. Winds will strengthen to gale- force over portions of the waters behind the front Sat night and Sun, then end Sun night. Very rough seas are also expected through the weekend. Conditions will quickly improve by Mon.

Please read the latest High Sea Forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center at website: https://nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFAT2.shtml

Monsoon Trough/ITCZ

The monsoon trough enters the Atlantic through the coast of Guinea near 10N14W and continues southwestward to 04N17W. The ITCZ extends from 04N17W to 02N31W and to 00N50W. Scattered moderate convection is observed from 01N to 06N between 12W and 42W.

Gulf Of America

Please read the Special Features section about a Gale Warning.

Broad surface high pressure ridging extends southwestward from the Florida Big Bend to the Bay of Campeche, with mainly gentle to moderate SE winds. W of 92W, southerly winds are increasing ahead of a cold front moving through Texas, and fresh speeds are ongoing. Seas are generally 2 to 4 ft, except 3 to 5 ft where the fresh S winds are present, and 4 to 6 ft in the SE Gulf in decaying NW swell. No convection is present.

For the forecast, please read the Special Features section for information on the gale force winds expected over the Gulf this weekend. Looking ahead, building high pressure over the SE United States should cause strengthening NE to E winds over most of the Gulf on Tue and Wed.

Caribbean Sea

A cold front has stalled from far eastern Cuba to the NE coast of Honduras. Moderate to fresh NE winds and seas of 5 to 7 ft are NW of this front. A surface trough S of Jamaica is inducing scattered moderate convection from 12N to 17N between 74W and 80W. Meanwhile, a strong subtropical ridge over the central Atlantic extends into the northeastern Caribbean, which is causing to fresh easterly trade winds and moderate seas most of the basin east of the front. Locally strong E winds have developed offshore Colombia and in the Gulf of Venezuela.

For the forecast, the stationary front will dissipate Sat. Fresh to strong trades will pulse offshore of NW Colombia and the central Caribbean tonight and the next few nights, reaching near- gale force at night starting Sat night and into early next week. Looking ahead, a new cold front will arrive in the NW Caribbean Sun night and - as high pressure builds in behind it - fresh to strong NE winds should prevail through mid-week.

Atlantic Ocean

A cold front extends from 31N62W to 25N70W through the Turks and Caicos and into far eastern Cuba. No significant convection is associated with this weakening front. Fresh S winds are ahead of the front N of 29N, to about 55W, and fresh NE winds follow the front for about 120 nm, before they decrease to light to gentle as high pressure over Florida builds toward the waters. Rough seas are behead to cold front to 75W, with very rough seas to 14 ft present N of 27N between 64W and 71W.

Farther east, a 1038 mb high pressure centered near the Azores governs the weather conditions across the eastern and central Atlantic. Fresh to strong trade winds seas of 8 to 11 ft are noted east of 50W and north of 18N, except these conditions extend as far south as the Cabo Verde Islands in the far eastern Atlantic. A cold front disrupting the overall high pressure extends from the Moroccan coast through the Canary Islands and west to 31N35W. Fresh to strong NE winds and 8 to 11 ft seas prevail north of the front, with similar wind speeds and seas heights south of the front, due to the aforementioned trade winds. Elsewhere, closer to the northeastern Caribbean, moderate to fresh wind speeds with 6 to 8 ft seas prevail.

For the forecast west of 55W, the aforementioned cold front in the western Atlantic will reach from 31N59W to 25N70W Sat morning where it will stall and weaken. Another cold front may impact the basin late in the upcoming weekend into early next week, supporting fresh to strong winds and rough seas.

Posted 0 minutes ago by NHC Forecaster Konarik