Tropical Storm Mario weakened on Monday night as it moved over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean west of Baja California. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Mario was located at latitude 21.9°N and longitude 115.7°W which put the center about 375 miles (605 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California. Mario was moving toward the northwest at 12 m.p.h. (19 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 50 m.p.h. (80 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 65 m.p.h. (105 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 1000 mb.
Tropical Storm Mario weakened on Monday night as it moved over cooler water west of Baja California. Many of the thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Mario dissipated when Mario moved over the cooler water. A few thunderstorms were still occurring near the center of Mario’s circulation. Most of the bands revolving around the center of Tropical Storm Mario consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds. Since the storms near the center of Mario were not generating much upper level divergence, the surface pressure was increasing.
The circulation around Tropical Storm Mario was still small. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 45 miles (75 km) from the center of Mario’s circulation.
Tropical Storm Mario will move through an environment that will be unfavorable for intensification during the next 24 hours. Mario will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 24°C. It will move under the southeastern part of an upper level trough that is near the west coast of the U.S. The upper level trough will produce southerly winds that will blow toward the top of Mario’s circulation. Those winds will cause moderate vertical wind shear. The combination of moderate vertical wind shear and cooler Sea Surface Temperatures will cause Tropical Storm Mario to continue to weaken during the next 24 hours.
Tropical Storm Mario will move around the around the southwestern part of a high pressure system over the southwest U.S. and northwest Mexico. The high pressure system will steer Mario toward the northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Mario will move west of Baja California.
