000 AGXX40 KNHC 011751 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 155 PM EST WED DEC 01 2004 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. AT THE UPPER LEVELS... A TROUGH IS OVER THE AREA EAST OF 65W AND EXTENDS OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST LEAVING A LINGERING TROUGH OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. THIS FEATURE WILL HAVE LITTLE IMPACT ON THE SURFACE WIND OR WEATHER. OTHERWISE A RIDGE IS OVER THE AREA AND EXTENDS FROM THE BAHAMAS TO SOUTHERN MEXICO. THE RIDGE WILL GRADUALLY FLATTEN AND DRIFT SOUTH TO A A VERY WEAK RIDGE ALONG 20N BY FRIDAY. MIDDLE LATITUDE WESTERLIES WILL MOVE SOUTH AS THE RIDGE FLATTENS AND BY FRIDAY EXTEND SOUTH TO 28N. AT THE SURFACE... SWELL OF UP TO 9 FT FROM OTTO WILL IMPACT THE ATLANTIC AREA THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT THEN DIMINISH. COLD FRONT OVER THE GULF WILL WEAKEN RAPIDLY TONIGHT AND BECOME A STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE GULF ALONG 25N-26N THURSDAY. THIS FRONT WILL SLOWLY DRIFT NORTH WITH SOME NEAR 20 KT NORTHEAST WIND NORTH OF THE FRONT. THE WARM FRONT WILL REACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SATURDAY NIGHT. THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF THE GULF COLD FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST TONIGHT MOSTLY NORTH OF THE ATLANTIC AREA PASSING EAST OF BERMUDA LATE THURSDAY. ANOTHER LOW WITH ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST JUST NORTH OF THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY PASSING EAST OF THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD EAST BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS HIGH WILL INCREASE THE TRADES SOME IN THE CARIBBEAN AND THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC SUNDAY AND MONDAY. BEGINNING LATE SUNDAY A TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OVER TEXAS INCREASING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND INCREASING THE SOUTHERLY WIND OVER THE WESTERN GULF SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. BY LATE MONDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BUT WITH NOT MUCH OF A HIGH PRESSURE BEHIND THE FRONT WIND SHOULD ONLY APPROACH 20 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. $$ FORECASTER LL