000 AGXX40 KNHC 240606 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 106 AM EST FRI NOV 24 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES IS EXTENDING ITS CONTROL OVER THE AREA WITH WINDS CONTINUING TO LIGHTEN UP OVER THE E/MIDDLE GULF. AN EVENING QUIKSCAT PASS REVEALED A SMALL AREA OF WINDS STILL AROUND 20 KT IN THE VICINITY OF THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BUT THESE TOO ARE EXPECTED TO LIGHTEN UP OVERNIGHT. THE SURFACE RIDGE SLIDES E OVER THE NEXT DAY OR SO AND BEGINS TO TIGHTEN THE PRES GRADIENT OVER THE E GULF AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA BEGINNING TONIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH TUE. SEAS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 8 FT WITH E/NE WINDS AGAINST THE GULF STREAM. RETURN FLOW ALSO INCREASES OFF THE TEXAS COAST SUN THROUGH TUE AS THE HIGH SLIDES E AND LOW PRES DEVELOPS OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SEAS HERE ARE EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 4-6 FT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... STATIONARY FRONT STILL EXTENDS FROM HAITI SW ACROSS JAMAICA TO 15N79W THEN SWD TO ERN PANAMA AND CONTINUES TO SPARK SCATTERED SHOWERS/TSTMS. WINDS HAVE BEEN SLOW TO DIMINISH W OF THE FRONT AND STILL TONIGHT QUIKSCAT IS SHOWING MAXIMUM WINDS TO ABOUT 25 KT IN A CORRIDOR FROM THE CAYMAN ISLANDS TO WRN PANAMA. IN ADDITION...THESE WINDS ARE PRODUCING NLY SWELLS WITH WAVE HEIGHTS STILL TO 11 FT OVER THE FAR SW CARIBBEAN. WINDS OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN WILL FINALLY FALL BELOW 20 KT BY SAT AFTERNOON ALTHOUGH NOT OVER THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN WHERE THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS DUE TO HIGH PRES OVER THE E GULF OF MEXICO. THESE WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH TUE WITH SEAS TO 7 FT IN A SLIGHTLY LIMITED FETCH. MODERATE 10-15 KT TRADES CONTINUE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN/TROPICAL N ATLC (WITH AN OCCASIONAL 20 KT ALONG THE COLOMBIAN COAST). A DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRES OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC WILL LIKELY WEAKEN THE RIDGE ENOUGH FOR WINDS TO FALL 10 KT OR LESS OVER THE N PART OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS MON AND TUE. SW N ATLC... A SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT REACHES FROM 31N68W TO HAITI AND WINDS/SEAS HAVE RECOVERED FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE COASTAL LOW WHICH IS NOW JUST OFF LONG ISLAND NY. HIGH PRES BUILDS IN W OF THE FRONT TODAY WITH INCREASING NELY WINDS OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST AND OVER THE NRN BAHAMAS AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA TONIGHT THROUGH SUN. THE HIGH SLIDES EVEN FARTHER E MON AND TUE AND BEGINS TO INCREASE WINDS OVER PRACTICALLY THE ENTIRE ZONE BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. AS FAR AS SEAS GO...WAVE HEIGHTS WILL INCREASE TO 8-10 FT IN NE SWELLS OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST BY SAT THEN SUBSIDE SLIGHTLY BY LATE SUN/MON. 5-7 FT NE SWELLS COVER MUCH OF THE AREA NE OF THE BAHAMAS BY TUE GIVEN THE LONG FETCH OF 15-20 KT NELY WINDS EXTENDING INTO THE AREA FROM N OF BERMUDA. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER BERG