000 AGXX40 KNHC 040724 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 220 AM EST SUN FEB 04 2007 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STATIONARY SURFACE FRONT EXTENDS FROM STRAITS OF FLORIDA NEAR 24N81W TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA NEAR 22N88W...THEN TO THE SE BAY OF CAMPECHE NEAR 19N93W. A 1029 MB SURFACE HIGH IS CENTERED OVER LOWER ALABAMA NEAR 31N88W. SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF OF MEXICO ARE SHOWING THAT THE PRESSURE GRADIENT S OF THE SURFACE HIGH IS ALREADY STARTING TO TIGHTEN...WITH SUSTAINED WINDS AT 20 KT OVER MUCH OF THE AREA S OF 27N. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO NEAR GALE FORCE THROUGH TODAY OVER THIS AREA AS THE SURFACE SHIFTS S AHEAD OF A REINFORCING FRONT PUSHING INTO N FLORIDA TONIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL MAINTAIN THE 25 TO 30 KT WINDS OVER THE SRN GULF WATERS THROUGH TUE. UPPER PATTERN BECOMES MORE ZONAL BY WED...ALLOWING SURFACE PRES GRADIENT TO WEAKEN AND WINDS TO DIMINISH THROUGH LATE WEEK. CARIBBEAN AND TROP N ATLC... CURRENT SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS ALONG WITH A LATE AFTERNOON QUIKSCAT PASS SHOW FRESH TO STRONG TRADES PERSISTING OVER MOST OF THE TROP N ATLC AND CARIBBEAN BASIN...WITH LIGHTER WINDS OVER THE FAR WRN CARIBBEAN. WINDS WILL DIMINISH ONLY SLIGHTLY OVER THE TROP N ATLC AND ERN CARIBBEAN TONIGHT AS RIDGING OFF THE EAST COAST TEMPORARILY WEAKENS AHEAD OF REINFORCING COLD FRONT. TRADES WILL PICK UP TO CURRENT LEVELS AGAIN TOMORROW AS RIDGE TO THE NORTH STRENGTHENS. STRONG TRADES REMAIN IN PLACE OFF COLOMBIAN COAST THROUGH THE PERIOD. MEANWHILE WINDS WILL INCREASE NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND CUBA ALONG STATIONARY FRONT AS RIDGE BUILDS OVER SRN U.S. SW N ATLC... SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N68W TO 26N75W...THEN BECOMES STATIONARY THROUGH STRAITS OF FLORIDA. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 31N65W TO STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY TONIGHT...AS A REINFORCING COLD FRONT PUSHES OFF THE SE COAST. THE ADDITIONAL COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL ALLOW WINDS TO INCREASE OVER THE NRN BAHAMAS AND THE ADJACENT WATERS TO THE NORTH MON. THE ONCOMING REINFORCING WILL MERGE WITH EXISTING FRONT BY LATE MON. BY MON NIGHT...IT WILL EXTEND FROM NEAR 31N55W TO 26N65W...THEN BECOMING STATIONARY AND DIFFUSE THROUGH CENTRAL CUBA. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH EXCEPT FOR TRADES IN THE SRN BAHAMAS AS SURFACE RIDGE AXIS FOLLOWS BEHIND THE REINFORCING FRONT...EXTENDING MAINLY ALONG 29N BY LATE TUE. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN