000 AGXX40 KNHC 112349 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 PM EST THU DEC 11 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. RADIOFAX SCHEDULE FOR GRAPHICAL WIND WAVE...SURFACE FORECAST AND PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS HAS CHANGED. FOR THE ATLANTIC BASIN THIS INCLUDES 24...36...48 AND 72 HOUR WIND WAVE..24...48..72 HOUR SURFACE FORECAST AND 48 AND 72 HOUR PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE FAX SCHEDULE ON THE NHC WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/RADIOFAX.SHTML GULF OF MEXICO... COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM POWERFUL 998 MB LOW PRES OVER CENTRAL ALABAMA TO BELIZE. GALE FORCE WINDS SPREAD ACROSS ERN GULF N OF 25N AS FOLLOWING SECONDARY COLD FRONT TIGHTENS PRES GRADIENT EVEN MORE AND OVER LARGER AREA. EXPIRATION TIME FOR GALE WARNINGS IS EXTENDED TILL LATER TONIGHT. SEAS UP TO 16 FT IN NE GULF AND 10-14 FT ELSEWHERE AS 20-30 KT NW WINDS LINGER ACROSS REMAINDER OF FORECAST WATERS. APPEARS THAT MODEL GUIDANCE MISSED THE STRENGTH OF LOW PRES AT 998 MB BRINGING SUCH COLD AIR MASS AS TO SNOW IN NEW ORLEANS. LOW PRES MOVES NE AND HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND SECOND FRONT FRI. WINDS VEER NE AND DIMINISH THROUGH SAT...BUT NEW LOW PRES CENTER CROSSING CENTRAL PLAINS TIGHTENS PRES GRADIENT SUN W OF 93W INDUCING STRONG S RETURN FLOW. AS THIS PLAINS LOW PRES TRACKS NE...RETURN FLOW DIMINISHES MON. WINDS DIMINISH MON AND TUE ACROSS ENTIRE GULF AS HIGH PRES SHIFTS E LEAVING MODERATE E TO SE WINDS OVER ENTIRE GULF. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... FRESH TO STRONG NE TO E TRADES ACROSS ERN CARIBBEAN START WEAKENING TONIGHT AS HEALTHY HIGH PRES N OF AREA SHIFTS E FORCED BY INCOMING STRONG COLD FRONT ACROSS YUCATAN PASSAGE. STRONG NW WINDS BEHIND FRONT ALREADY ENCROACHING IN NW CARIBBEAN SPREAD E UNTIL FRONT STALLS FROM HISPANIOLA TO COSTA RICA LATE FRI. MEANWHILE WINDS DIMINISH ELSEWHERE IN BASIN. MODERATE LONG PERIOD SWELL TRAINS RESULTING FROM LONG FETCH OF THE SRN PERIPHERY OF ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE FELT ACROSS TROPICAL ATLC THROUGH END OF FORECAST PERIOD. SW N ATLC... STRONG COLD FRONT ENTERS SW N ATLC THIS AFTERNOON WITH BROAD AREA OF GALE FORCE WINDS N OF 27N W OF 73W...SEAS UP TO 15 FT... LASTING INTO TONIGHT WHEN AREA OF GALES MOVE N OF BASIN. FRONT CONTINUES E AND WEAKENS FROM 28N65W TO HISPANIOLA. BY THEN WINDS HAVE SHIFTED NE AND DIMINISHED TO 20 KT ACROSS ALMOST ENTIRE BASIN E OF BAHAMAS. LARGE LONG PERIOD NE SWELLS LINGER THRU FORECAST PERIOD DRIVEN BY HIGH PRES REBUILDING NW OF FRONT. ATLANTIC... DEVELOPING GALE WARNING...N OF 28N W OF 73W...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING...N OF 25N E OF 90W...GMZ084...GMZ086. FORECASTER WALLY BARNES. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.