Tropical Storm Henriette churned westward over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.  At 5:00 p.m. EDT on Tuesday the center of Tropical Storm Henriette was located at latitude 17.0°N and longitude 125.6°W which put the center about 1095 miles (1765 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.  Henriette was moving toward the west-northwest at 16 m.p.h. (26 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 1003 mb.

The structure of Tropical Storm Henriette did not change much on Tuesday.  The distribution of thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Henriette continued to be asymmetrical.  Thunderstorms were occurring in bands in the western side of Henriette’s circulation.  Bands in the eastern side of Tropical Storm Henriette consisted primarily of showers and lower clouds.  Storms on the western side of the center of Henriette generated upper level divergence that pumped mass away to the west of the tropical storm.  The removal of mass in the upper levels was balanced by an inflow of mass in the lower levels of the atmosphere.  The balance of outflow and inflow of mass caused the surface pressure to remain nearly constant.

The size of the circulation around Tropical Storm Henriette increased a little on Tuesday.  Winds to tropical storm force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Henriette’s circulation.

Tropical Storm Henriette will move through an environment marginally favorable for intensification during the next 24 hours.  Henriette will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 26°C.  It will move under the southern side of an upper level ridge over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The upper level ridge will produce easterly winds that will blow toward the top of Henriette’s circulation.  Those winds will cause some vertical wind shear. The vertical wind shear will inhibit intensification.  The intensity of Tropical Storm Henriette is likely to remain nearly constant during the next 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Henriette will move around the southern side of a high pressure system over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean.  The high pressure system will steer Henriette toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours.  On its anticipated track, Tropical Storm Henriette will continue to move farther away from Baja California.