000 AGXX40 KNHC 010522 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 122 AM EDT TUE APR 1 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... WEAK BROAD CYCLONIC CIRCULATION IS CENTERED OVER THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WITH AN ASSOCIATED TROUGH EXTENDING NORTHEAST FROM THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST OF 60W AND BY WEDNESDAY LIE ALONG 23N EAST OF 60W. THE TROUGH WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND DRIFT SOUTH TO ALONG 20N EAST OF 65W BY SATURDAY. THE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION WILL ALSO GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND DISSIPATE BY FRIDAY. OTHERWISE BROAD RIDGE WILL BE OVER THE AREA WITH THE WESTERLIES NORTH OF THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. ON FRIDAY A STRONG MIDDLE LATITUDE TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE NORTHWEST GULF WITH A STRONG SHORTWAVE MOVING OFF THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FRIDAY NIGHT. BY LATE SATURDAY A BROAD TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND FLORIDA. THE SHORTWAVE WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTH GULF OF MEXICO. SURFACE... STRONG HIGH NORTH OF THE AREA WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC JUST NORTH OF THE AREA AND ACROSS THE NORTH GULF OF MEXICO COAST. THE HIGH WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST AND WEAKEN SLIGHTLY AND THE RIDGE WILL BE ALONG 31N ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AND WEAKEN OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT. THE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN BUT A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PERSIST SOUTH OF 23N THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE RIDGE BUILDS ALONG 30N OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE GULF AND BY LATE SATURDAY EXTEND FROM NORTH FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. TRADES WILL BE GREATER THAN NORMAL EAST OF 75W AND LESS THAN NORMAL WEST OF 75W THROUGH THE PERIOD. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL