804  AXPZ20 KNHC 090335 TWDEP   Tropical Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 0405 UTC Sat Mar 09 2024  Tropical Weather Discussion for the eastern Pacific Ocean from 03.4S to 30N, east of 120W including the Gulf of California, and from the Equator to 30N, between 120W and 140W. The following information is based on satellite imagery, weather observations, radar, and meteorological analysis.  Based on 0000 UTC surface analysis and satellite imagery through 0315 UTC.  ...SPECIAL FEATURES...  Gulf of Tehuantepec gale warning: The pressure gradient will  tighten in southeastern Mexico starting on Sun as high pressure  builds southward over the western Gulf of Mexico post-frontal  passage. Minimal gale-force winds are forecast for the Gulf of  Tehuantepec beginning Sun morning and continuing through late Sun night. This should be a short-lived event. Peak seas with  upcoming event are forecast to be in the range of about 8-12 ft,  with the leading edge of the 8 ft seas reaching to near 12N95W by late Sun night. Please read the latest High Seas Forecast issued by the National Hurricane Center at website  https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAHSFEP2.shtml for more details.  ...INTERTROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE/MONSOON TROUGH...  A trough extends from low pressure over Colombia southwestward  to 06N80W and to 05N90W, where latest scatterometer data indicates that it transitions to the ITCZ and continues to 04N104W to 03N113W to 03N123W to 03N133W and to beyond 02N140W. No significant convection is noted.  ...OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF MEXICO...  Please see the Special Features section above for details on  an upcoming Gulf of Tehuantepec gap wind gale event.  The pressure gradient between high pressure of 1026 mb high pressure north of the area 33N130W and relatively lower  pressures in the southwestern United States and in northwest  Mexico is maintaining moderate to fresh northwest winds over the offshore waters of Baja California. Seas have subsided slightly  to 7 to 10 ft due to long-period northwest over the offshore  waters of Baja California.  Latest ASCAT satellite data passes indicates gentle to moderate  northwest winds over the central and southern sections of the  Gulf of California. Seas over these waters are 3 to 5 ft.  Elsewhere over the remainder of the Mexican offshore waters,  including the Gulf of Tehuantepec, moderate or weaker winds and  slight to moderate seas prevail.  For the forecast, the moderate to fresh northwest winds in the offshore waters of Baja California will diminish to gentle to  moderate speeds tonight. Winds will then freshen up again early next week. Seas will subside over the next couple of days, but another swell region will arrive on Sun and seas will build to 12 ft by Tue. Looking ahead, high pressure building southward over  the western Gulf of Mexico in the wake of a cold front will  tighten the gradient in southeastern Mexico leading to gale-  force gap winds in the Gulf of Tehunatepec Sun through late Sun  night. These winds are expected to generate rough seas downstream from the Tehuantepec region.  ...OFFSHORE WATERS WITHIN 250 NM OF CENTRAL AMERICA, COLOMBIA,  AND WITHIN 750 NM OF ECUADOR  Broad lower pressures over the Gulf of Mexico is keeping a  weak pressure gradient across the Gulf of Papagayo region, with light to gentle west to northwest winds. Seas over these waters  are 3-5 ft due to long-period south to southwest swell. Moderate to locally fresh northerly winds and seas of 4-6 ft due to long- period south to southwest swell are over the Gulf of Panama,  extending south to near 04N. Gentle to moderate southeast winds  along with seas of 6-8 ft are present to southwest of the  Galapagos Islands. Elsewhere, light to gentle winds and slight to moderate seas remain.  For the forecast, gentle to moderate winds will continue across  the region through the weekend, with late night or early morning  pulses of locally fresh winds in the Papagayo and Panama region. High pressure building toward the western Caribbean may lead to  strong gap winds in the Papagayo region early next week. The  moderate winds and seas southwest of the Galapagos Islands will  diminish tonight.  ...REMAINDER OF THE AREA...  High pressure of 1026 mb is analyzed north of the area near  33N130W. It remains the most prominent feature across the  remainder of the tropical eastern Pacific waters. The pressure  gradient between the high pressure and relatively  lower  pressures in the deep tropics is allowing for generally  fresh to strong trade winds from about 06N to 18N and west of  120W. The latest scatterometer satellite data passes show  that the winds of strong speeds are mainly present from 06N to  14N and west of 135W. Seas over these waters are 8-10 ft. The  highest of these seas is located from 05N to 11N west of 130W. Elsewhere, moderate or weaker winds and moderate seas are  evident.  For the forecast, the aforementioned fresh to strong trade winds  over the western part of the area will diminish by Sun. Seas  over this part of the area will change little through the  weekend. Looking ahead, a large set of northwest swell is  forecast to begin to intrude into the far northwest corner of the area starting early Sat and continue to advance through the  northwest and north-central waters into Sun. Seas with this set  of swell will be 8-12 ft through late Sat, with the highest of  the seas to be confined over the northwest part of the area. It  appears that the southern extent of this swell set will merge  with the swell that is over the western part of the area late Sat night into Sun. Yet another large set of northwest swell is  depicted by the Wave models to begin to approach the far  northwest corner late Sun night with seas peaking near 13 ft.  $$ Aguirre