000 AGXX40 KNHC 160658 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 155 AM EST SAT FEB 16 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO...LOW PRES OVER N CENTRAL MEXICO WILL SHIFT E INTO TEXAS THEN NE TOWARD MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH TONIGHT. THIS WILL HAPPEN AS ASSOCIATED CLOSED UPPER CYCLONE OVER SW U.S. OPENS UP AND LIFTS OUT TO THE NE AS WELL...GIVING A REINFORCING KICK TO A STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY NOW PARKED OVER E TEXAS. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN OVER THE WESTERN GULF BETWEEN THE SURFACE LOW AND HIGH PRES TO THE E...ALLOWING STRONG SLY WINDS OVER MUCH OF THE NW GULF WATERS. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY START TO PUSH OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY LATE SAT NIGHT EARLY SUN MORNING...THEN PICKUP MOMENTUM BY MIDDAY SUNDAY AS THE MID/UPPER TROUGH PUSHES INTO THE AREA. THE FRONT WILL SHIFT INTO THE SOUTHERN GULF THROUGH MON...AS HIGH PRES BEHIND THE FRONT SHIFTS E ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVER NRN GULF WATERS NEAR THE CENTER OF THE SURFACE HIGH...BUT 20 KT FLOW WILL PERSIST OVER SRN GULF WATERS INTO MID WEEK. FRESH SE RETURN FLOW WILL COMMENCE BY TUE AS THE SURFACE HIGH STALLS OVER N FLORIDA. CARIBBEAN AND TROP N ATLC...HIGH PRES OVER THE WESTERN ATLC WILL MAINTAIN PERSISTENT FRESH TO STRONG ELY FLOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA FROM THE TROP N ATLC TO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. NE SWELL OF UP TO 8 FT WITH 14 SECOND PERIODS WILL PUSH INTO THE TROP N ATLC WATERS E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES BY LATE SUN...IMPACTING THE WINDWARD ISLANDS BY MON AFTERNOON. SW N ATLC...ELY TRADES UP TO 20 KT CONTINUE IN THE ATLC THROUGH THE TURKS/CAICOS AND SOUTHERN BAHAMAS. OTHERWISE...LIGHT TO MODERATE ELY FLOW PREVAILS THROUGH LATE SAT ON SRN EDGE OF BERMUDA HIGH. SELY WINDS OVER THE AREA E OF N FLORIDA WILL INCREASE LATE SUN AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE SE U.S. COAST...REACHING 30 KT SUN NIGHT AND EARLY MON AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVER THE WATERS E OF N FLORIDA AND N OF THE BAHAMAS. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE GEORGIA COAST BY EARLY MON AFTERNOON...AND EXTEND FROM 31N78W TO E CENTRAL FLORIDA BY EARLY MON EVENING...31N73W TO S FLORIDA BY TUE MORNING...AND 31N70W TO STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY LATE WED. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN