Special Features

Western and Central Atlantic Gale Warnings/Significant Swell: A cold front that extends from 31N47W to the northern coast of Puerto Rico is inducing gale conditions mainly behind the front along and north of 27N. Scattered showers are also present in this area. These gales will diminish this morning as the front weakens. Another cold front is currently analyzed from 31N66W to near Cape Canaveral. Combined NW swell behind both fronts is resulting in seas of 12-18 ft occurring N of 24N between 44W and 78W. This second front will move east and southeastward today, inducing a broad area of gales N of 27N between 77W and 50W as the front tracks eastward through Mon. Winds near and along 30N may be near storm- force tonight into Sunday. Very rough seas generated by these gales combined with swell from storm- force and hurricane- force low pressures to the north will propagate southward to impact most waters N of 18N into the middle of next week, with peak seas of 30 to 35 ft possible along 30N and to the SE of Bermuda Sun through Sun night.

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

A monsoon trough enters the Atlantic through the coast of Liberia near 06.5N11W and extends southwestward to 05.5N16W. The ITCZ continues from 05.5N16W west-southwestward to 00N34W. Scattered moderate convection is seen along the ITCZ between 24W and 33W.

Gulf Of America

A 1024 mb high centered near 22N94W continues to dominate conditions across the entire Gulf. Moderate to fresh NW to N winds and moderate seas are seen across the north-central and eastern Gulf, including the Florida Straits. Gentle winds and slight seas prevail for the rest of the Gulf.

For the forecast, 1024 mb high pressure has settled over the SW Gulf near 22N93.5W, and will drift slowly NE and dominate the weather through the middle of next week, bringing generally quiescent conditions to the basin. Fresh NW to N winds across the waters E of 87W this morning will gradually diminish and veer to the NE through Sun morning.

Caribbean Sea

A cold front extends from SW Puerto Rico to 17N69W, where it becomes a stationary front that curves westward along the Hispaniola coast and then southward to offshore NW Colombia. Fresh to strong N winds and moderate seas are W of the front, with 8-10 ft seas seen in the SW Caribbean. To the E of the front, gentle to moderate trades and slight seas prevail. A pair of surface troughs are also analyzed in the central to eastern Caribbean, with scattered showers occurring near both trough axes.

For the forecast, a weakening cold front has stalled from western Puerto Rico to offshore of southwest Haiti near 17.5N73W to near the coast of NW Colombia and the Gulf of Uraba. The front will drift SE across the central Leeward Islands through Tue then gradually dissipate. Strong N winds and rough seas will prevail across the SW basin behind the front, through Sun. In the wake of the front, fresh to strong trades will develop offshore Colombia and Hispaniola Sun night, then increase and expand through the central basin into the middle of next week, as high pressure builds N of the area. Rough seas will develop in this area of strong winds. Additionally, large NW to N Atlantic swell will impact the Mona Passage, Anegada Passage, and tropical N Atlantic waters Sun night through Wed.

Atlantic Ocean

Please see the Special Features section for details on Gale Warnings and areas of significant swell in the western and central Atlantic.

Outside of the gale warning areas, fresh to strong SW winds are ahead of the central Atlantic cold front, N of a line running from 20N60W to 31N30W. Rough seas are also present in this area. Strong W winds are also present N of 24W behind the central Atlantic cold front, with rough to very rough seas. Elsewhere in the Atlantic, moderate to fresh trades dominate the waters S of 22N and E of 60W, with fresh to strong trades occurring from 16N to 25N and E of 25W per recent scatterometer data. Rough seas are impacting much of the waters E of 40W, and S of 10N between 35W and 50W. Elsewhere, gentle to moderate winds and moderate seas prevail.

For the forecast W of 55W, strong winds are diminishing on both sides of a cold front that extends from 31N47W to the NW coast of Puerto Rico. New gales have developed N of 28.5N on either side of a reinforcing cold front that is moving across the NW waters this morning, extending from Bermuda to central Florida. Widespread gale-force to near storm-force winds will impact waters N of 27N and E of 77W this weekend, as the merging fronts reach from 31N48W to the northern Leeward Islands Sun morning, then begin to dissipate from 31N40W to the central Leewards Tue. Gales behind the front will shift NE of the northeastern zones late Mon. Very rough seas generated by these winds will propagate SE and impact much of the waters into early next week, with peak seas of 30 to 35 ft possible SE of Bermuda on Sun. The very rough seas are likely to finally depart the region to the east on Wed. $$ Adams

Posted 1 hour, 23 minutes ago