000 AGXX40 KNHC 031626 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1125 AM EST TUE FEB 3 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... SCATTEROMETER AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS SHOW GENERALLY 15 TO 20 KT NORTHERLY WINDS OVER THE AREA...EXCEPT 10 TO 15 KT IN THE FAR NW GULF WHERE HIGH PRES IS BUILDING. THE DIMINISHING WINDS ARE THE RESULT OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT SWEPT SE OF THE GULF BY LAST NIGHT. WINDS HAD REACHED GALE FORCE OVER THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE BUT LATEST SCATTEROMETER INFORMATION SHOWS THIS IS NOW BELOW GALE FORCE. THE RESPITE FROM STRONG WINDS WILL BE BRIEF AS REINFORCING FRONT PUSHES INTO THE NE GULF TONIGHT. STRONG WINDS FOLLOW THIS FRONT...MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE GULF THROUGH WED INTO THU. THESE WINDS DIMINISH AS HIGH PRES ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF INTO FRI. AS THIS HAPPENS...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASES OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF ALONG THE TEXAS COAST FRI. EASTER FLOW ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF INCREASES INTO SAT AS THE HIGH PRES...CENTERED OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST STRENGTHENS. CARIBBEAN... A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO SOUTHERN BELIZE PUSHES SE AND REACHES FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO SOUTHERN NICARAGUA BY WED MORNING. STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW FOLLOWS THE FRONT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. ANOTHER COLD FRONT REINFORCES THE EXISTING FRONT LATE WED INTO THU. HIGH PRES BUILDING BEHIND THESE FRONTS N OF THE AREA WILL ALLOW NE WINDS TO INCREASE OVER THE ENTIRE WESTERN CARIBBEAN INCLUDING THE WINDWARD PASSAGE THROUGH SAT. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN INTO SAT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS NE OF THE BAHAMAS. ATLANTIC W OF 55W... A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N73W TO 23N80W. A SCATTEROMETER PASS FROM 1030Z SHOWED WINDS TO GALE FORCE JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT N OF 30N...WITH BUOYS REPORTING 8 TO 10 FT SEAS. THE FRONT WILL SHIFT EAST REACHING FROM 31N66W TO E CUBA NEAR 21N75W TONIGHT...WITH GALES AHEAD OF IT. ANOTHER REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF GEORGIA COAST EARLY WED AND EXTEND FROM BERMUDA TO E CUBA LATE WED. COLD AIR ADVECTION BEHIND THE SECOND FRONT WILL INCREASE GALE FORCE WINDS TO 40 KT. THE FRONTS WILL MERGE AND MOVE SE OF AREA BY LATE THU. WINDS AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE AREA. THE PERSISTENT NW TO N WINDS GENERATE MAINLY NW SWELL THAT PROPAGATES TO THE NE OF THE BAHAMAS TOWARD PUERTO RICO AND THE LEEWARD ISLANDS FROM MIDWEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. ATLANTIC... AMZ088...GALE WARNING. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.