000 AGXX40 KNHC 201728 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 125 PM EDT THU MAR 20 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO...COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NAPLES FLORIDA TO NE YUCATAN. SCATTEROMETER AND BUOYS SHOW FRESH TO STRONG NLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE MIDDLE GULF WATERS FROM ALABAMA TO YUCATAN. LIGHT TO MODERATE SE FLOW IS NOTED AHEAD OF THE FRONT IN THE FAR SE GULF. MEANWHILE AN LARGE AMPLITUDE UPPER TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO NRN MEXICO. MID AND UPPER FLOW AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH IS SWLY...SHIFTING TO NEARLY ZONAL AS THE TROUGH AMPLITUDE DAMPENS OUT OVER THE NEXT DAY. THIS MEANS THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE STEAM AND STALL FROM THE FLORIDA STRAITS TO YUCATAN OVERNIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO LAY DOWN THROUGH SAT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH STATES. FOR LATE SAT INTO SUN...GFS IS SHOWING A WEAK COLD FRONT DIPPING INTO THE NE GULF AS A WEAK SHORT WAVE MOVES THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. A STRONGER SHORT WAVE MOVES FROM THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ON THE HEELS OF THE FIRST TROUGH...PUSHING A SLIGHTLY STRONGER COLD FRONT INTO THE NW GULF SUN. THE 00Z EURO MODELS SHOWS A SIMILAR SET UP BUT HAS A STRONGER REINFORCING FRONT. WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WILL PICK UP A LITTLE BEHIND THE FIRST FRONT...WITH STRONG NLY WINDS EXPECTED IN THE WESTERN GULF BEHIND THE SECOND FRONT INTO MON. SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE GLOBAL MODELS INTO TUE AS TO WHETHER THE COMBINED FRONTS WILL PUSH THROUGH THE GULF AS IN THE EURO MODEL OR STALL OVER THE MIDDLE GULF AS IN THE GFS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...STRONG TRADE WIND FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH INTO THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WEAKENS AND SHIFTS E...IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE WESTERN ATLC. SCATTEROMETER DATA FROM THIS MORNING STILL SHOWED 30 KT WINDS OFF THE MOUNTAINOUS COLOMBIAN COAST...BUT NOTHING TO GALE FORCE. THE GALE WARNING WAS CANCELLED ACCORDINGLY. THE OTHER ISSUE IS LARGE...LONG PERIOD N SWELL GETTING THROUGH THE ATLC PASSAGES INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND IN THE ATLC WATERS BETWEEN THE 55W AND THE LEEWARDS. THE SWELL APPEARS TO BE ON THE DOWNSWING AND WILL CONTINUE TO DECAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SW N ATLC...A COLD FRONT MOVED OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST EARLIER THIS MORNING. STRONG SW FLOW IS NOTED AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH STRONG NW FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH AS HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE W ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT AND THE GRADIENT LOOSENS. THE FRONT STALLS ROUGHLY ALONG 28N BY LATE FRI. LARGE NLY SWELL IN THE AREA E OF THE BAHAMAS TAPERS OFF AS WELL. A WEAK FRONT MOVES OFF THE GEORGIA COAST SUN...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG REINFORCING FRONT BY LATE MON...FOLLOWED BY STRONG NLY WINDS. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN