Marine Weather Review Tropical Atlantic and Tropical East Pacific Areas July-December 2003

Significant Weather of the Period

This article provides a brief review of non-tropical systems (Table 1) which produced significant weather across the tropical regions of the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific during the 2nd half of 2003. Please refer to the articles on the 2003 Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific Hurricane Season for information about tropical systems which affected the area.

I. Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico:

The Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic were affected by several cold fronts producing gale force winds over the area between late October and the end of 2003. The first of these fronts for the fall season moved into the Gulf of Mexico in late October. Four additional cold fronts produced gale force winds over the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico in November. In early November, a low pressure center developed just south of Bermuda. The low moved southwest and produced an area of gales between the east coast of Florida and Bermuda between 1-3 November. In mid December, another strong cold front once again produced gales over the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. In late December, a low pressure center and associated cold front produced an area of gales over the central and eastern Atlantic.

The following is a review of some of these events.

Central Atlantic Low 26-28 October: On the 26 October, a weak low developed along a frontal boundary that extended across the central Atlantic from 31N 48W through 25N 58W to just north of Hispaniola. The low was centered near 28N 48W at 1800 UTC 26 October. At this time a 1034-hPa high was centered north of the low, off the east coast of the United States. The tight pressure gradient between the low and high produced an area of northeasterly gale force winds from 27N to 31N, west of the low to 65W. The ships Polar Uruguay (ELTH2) and Star Drottanger (S6PD) encountered 35 kt northeast winds just west of the low center at 1800 UTC. The ship observations confirmed a 2152 UTC QuikSCAT pass that also detected 30 to 35 kt winds just west of the low center. The low moved southwest and was centered near 26N 53W at 1200 UTC 27 October. At this time, the Star Drottanger again reported 35 kt winds. Late on the 27th, the low weaken as it drifted westward and the high moved northeastward into the north-central Atlantic. The pressure gradient between the high and low weakened and winds decreased to below gale force early on the 28th.

Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic Cold Fronts: The first gale producing cold front of the fall season moved off the coast of Texas early on 26 October. Winds increased to gale force behind the front as strong high pressure began building south on the 27th. A 1221 UTC 27 October QuikSCAT pass detected 30 to 35 kt winds over the southwest Gulf of Mexico. Buoy 42002 near 25.2N 94.4W reported 36 kt winds with gusts to 43 kt at 1300 UTC. The event was short-lived as winds decreased to below gale force around 0000 UTC 28 October. On 9 November a cold front moved south into the western Atlantic. North of the front a 1041-hPa high was centered over the northeast United States.

The tight pressure gradient behind the front produced an area of northeasterly gales north of 29N west of 65W to the southeast coast of the United States. Several QuikSCAT passes between the 9th and 11th detected 30 to 35 kt northeast winds over the western Atlantic. Buoy 41012 near (30N 80.5W) reported northeast winds of 33 kt with gusts to 41 kt at 1500 UTC 9 November. At 0000 UTC 11 November, the ship P&O NEDLLOYD PIRAEUS (MZMN7) observed 35 kt winds near 29N 70W. The high north of the area weakened on the 11th and winds decreased to below gale force.

The next three gale producing cold fronts affected the western Gulf of Mexico. The first of these fronts moved off the Texas Coast around 1800 UTC 18 November. Gale force winds accompanied the front over the western Gulf of Mexico. Buoy 42020, near 27N 96.7W, detected northwesterly winds of 34 kt early on 19 November. The front moved quickly eastward and high pressure settled over south Texas late on the 19th. Winds decreased to below gale force by 0000 UTC 20 November. The second front to produce gales over the western Gulf of Mexico in November moved off the Texas coast around 2100 UTC 23 November. Buoy 42019 reported 33 kt northerly winds with gusts to 42 kt at 0200 UTC 24 November. Buoy 42002 felt 35 kt winds with gusts to 42 kt around 1200 UTC. An 1159 UTC QuikSCAT pass agreed with the buoy observation by detecting 30 to 40 kt northerly winds over the southwest Gulf of Mexico south of 26N west of 94W. Wave heights at buoy 42002 reached 5.75 meters (19 ft) just after 1200 UTC. Winds decreased late on the 24th and a QuikSCAT pass from around 0000 UTC 25 November that the gales had ended. The strongest front of the period entered the northwestern Gulf of Mexico around 1800 UTC 27 November. A 1048-hPa high pressure system over the central United States began building southward behind the front early on the 28th. Winds behind the front increased to gale force over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico by 0600 UTC 28 November. An 1155 UTC QuikSCAT pass detected a large area of 30 to 40 kt northerly winds behind the front, west of 90W. Gale force northerly winds blew across buoy 42002 between 0500 and 1700 UTC on the 28th. The highest wind gust recorded at the buoy was 46 kt around 0600 UTC. Seas reached 6 meters (20 ft) at the buoy at 1800 UTC. The gale force winds were also felt at 1800 UTC by the ships Celebration (H3GQ) and Cleveland (KGXA). Both ships encountered 35 kt winds over the northwestern Gulf. This event also produced storm force winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec (see Eastern Pacific section) and near gale conditions over the eastern Gulf and the northwestern Caribbean Sea. The event ended over the Gulf of Mexico by 0600 UTC 29 November. The final front of the period that produced gale force winds over the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic moved off the Texas coast shortly after 0600 UTC 16 December. Gale force winds began over the Gulf of Mexico behind the front around 1800 UTC on the 16th. At this time the ship HP9685 observed 35 kt winds over the northwestern Gulf. QuikSCAT data from 0102 UTC 17 December detected northerly gale force winds of 30 to 40 kt behind the front. The front moved into the Atlantic waters just after 1200 UTC 17 December. At this time, winds increased to gale force over the Atlantic north of 28N in vicinity of the front. Winds decreased to below gale force over the Gulf of Mexico by 0000 UTC 18 December and over the Atlantic around 1200 UTC. Central and East Atlantic Low and Front 28-31 December: A strong upper-level trough moved into the western Atlantic late on the 27 December. The trough aided in the development of a low near 24N 59W early on the 28th. The low developed along a cold front which extended from 31N 56W to Puerto Rico. The low moved northeastward and at 1800 UTC was centered near 27N 56W, with a central pressure of 1001-hPa. At this time the low began producing gale force winds. At 1800 UTC, the ship Star Fraser (LAVY4) encountered 35 kt winds about 240 nmi southwest of the center. A 2125 UTC QuikSCAT pass detected 30 to 40 kt winds around the low. At 0600 UTC 29 December, the low deepened to 996-hPa and was centered near 30N 52W. A 0838 UTC QuikSCAT data detected 30 to 40 kt winds within about 300 nmi of the center. At 1200 UTC 29 December, the ship Chiquita Schweiz (C6KD9) observed 35 kt winds near 29N 48W. By 1800 UTC, the low center moved north of 31N. However, gale force winds continued east of the trailing cold front which extended through 31N 47W - 25N 48W to 13N 60W. At 0600 UTC 30 December, the ship Pilgram (ELTP9) reported 35 kt southerly winds just east of the cold front near 31N 42W. At 0600 UTC 31 December, the front became stationary along 31N 42W 23N 45W to 12N 60W. At this time, winds east of the front decreased below gale force. The low also produced large northerly swells, 4.5 to 6 meters (15 to 20 ft), north of 25N to the west of the low and front to 65W.

The swells affected portions of the northern Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico. Figure 1 is a visible satellite image from 1815 UTC 30 December which depicts the Atlantic cold front. The front moved to well south of the Leeward Islands. This system brought unusually dry and cooler air well to the south. The dewpoint in Puerto Rico and the northeastern Leeward Islands fell to around 16 C (60 F) on the 30th.

Figure 1. GOES 12 visible image of the Atlantic low and cold front at 1815 UTC 30 December 2003. Note that the cold front moved south of the Leeward islands.

II. Eastern North Pacific

The Gulf of Tehuantepec gale season began a few weeks later than normal. Typically, the first Tehuantepec gale event occurs in mid-October, but in 2003 the first event of the fall season did not occur until 9 November. However, once the season began, Tehuantepec events occurred frequently during the later half of November and December. A total of eleven gale or greater wind events occurred between 10 November and 31 December. Two of the events produced storm force winds. Table 2 is a list of the estimated beginning and ending times of Gulf of Tehuantepec gale and storm events between July and December 2003. These events were verified by either a reliable ship observation or timely QuikSCAT data.

Gulf of Tehuantepec Events: The first Gulf of Tehuantepec gale event began shortly after 1800 UTC 9 November. No ship observations of gale force winds were reported during this event. However, the ship 9HQK6 encountered 30 kt winds well south of the Gulf at 0000 UTC 10 November. QuikSCAT scans missed the area late on the 9th and early on the 10th. But, a pass from 2352 UTC 10 November detected 30 to 35 kt winds over the area.

Winds decreased to below gale force by 0600 UTC 11 November. The second event began at 0000 UTC 14 November. The ships A8CB4 and the Majestic Maersk (OUJH2) observed 35 kt winds at 1200 and 1800 UTC respectively in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. QuikSCAT data from 1231 UTC 15 November indicated that the event had ended. The third November event began around 1800 UTC 19 November. This event was stronger that than the two previous gale events. QuikSCAT data from 1202 UTC 20 November detected a large area of 35 to 45 kt winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. QuikSCAT passes on the 20th and early on the 21st indicated that the winds weakened slightly, but remained at gale force until about 1800 UTC 21 November. There were no ship observations of gale force winds during this event. It appears that ships heeded the warnings and remained away from the area of strongest winds. The next gale event began at approximately 1800 UTC 24 November. A 0030 UTC 25 November QuikSCAT pass detected 30 to 40 kt winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. This event only lasted about 24 hours, ending around 1800 UTC 25 November. The last November event was the strongest of the month. Winds reached storm force. The event began as winds increased to gale force in the Gulf of Tehuantepec around 1200 UTC 28 November. Winds quickly increased to storm force later on the 28th. QuikSCAT data at 0027 UTC 29 November found a rather large area of 50 to 60 kt winds with an even larger area of 30 to 45 kt winds (Figure 2). High resolution QuikSCAT data detected winds up to hurricane force (65 kt). The next QuikSCAT pass at 1130 UTC detected 50 kt winds. It is believed that winds greater than 50 kt were still blowing because the pass did not cover the area of expected strongest winds. At 1800 UTC 29 November and 0000 UTC 30 November the ship Cielo Di San Francisco (DGZO) observed northeasterly 40 kt winds near the Gulf of Tehuantepec. A QuikSCAT pass at 2355 UTC 29 November detected 35 to 45 kt winds. This pass indicated that winds had decreased below storm force. However, gale force winds continued for another few days. Winds finally decreased below gale force around 0000 UTC 3 December. The first December event began around 0000 UTC 6 December. An 1149 UTC QuikSCAT pass detected 30 to 35 kt winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The next pass at 2355 UTC also found 30 to 35 kt winds over the area.

Figure 2. QuikSCAT data from 0027 UTC 29 November 2003.

The ship APL Tourmaline (9VVP) confirmed the presence of gale force winds by observing 35 kt winds at 0000 UTC 7 December. The gale ended by 0000 UTC 8 December. The next gale event of the period was short-lived, beginning just before 0000 UTC 11 December and ending at 1800 UTC that day. A QuikSCAT pass from around 0000 UTC 11 December detected 30 to 35 kt winds. A ship (name unknown) encountered 35 kt in the Gulf of Tehuantepec at 0600 UTC. The next event began around 1200 UTC 14 December. The gale was verified by the ship Maersk Windhoek (DHBN) report of 40 kt winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec at 1800 UTC. The event lasted about 36 hours, ending at 0000 UTC 16 December. The next Tehuantepec event was the strongest in December. Winds again reached storm force. The event began shortly after 0000 UTC 17 December. Winds quickly increased to storm force based on the ship Figaro (S6PI) report of 50 kt winds at 0600 UTC. A 1205 UTC QuikSCAT pass detected a large area of 45 to 55 kt winds. The ship Peninsular Bay (MHCQ7) reported 45 kt winds well south of the Tehuantepec near 13N 96W. The winds decreased below storm force around 0600 UTC 18 December. However, winds remained above gale force for several more days. The ship London Express (DPLE) observed 35 kt winds at 0000 UTC 21 December. Several QuikSCAT passes between 2345 UTC 18 December and 1136 UTC 22 December observed 35 to 40 kt in the Gulf. QuikSCAT data also detected that 20 to 25 kt winds spread unusually far south during this event. These winds covered most of the eastern North Pacific from 5N to 14N, east of 110W.

The event ended shortly after 1200 UTC 22 December. There were no ship observations of gale force winds during this event. The next event began at 0600 UTC 24 December. There were no ship observations of gale force winds during this event. However, both the 1224 UTC 24 December and 0056 UTC 25 December QuikSCAT passes detected 30 to 35 kt winds in the area. The event lasted only 24 hours, ending around 0600 UTC 25 December. The last event of the month began around 0000 UTC 30 December. Again, there were no ship reports of gale force winds during this event. A 0026 UTC QuikSCAT pass indicated 30 to 35 kt winds in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. This event ended by 1800 UTC 31 December.

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