000 AGXX40 KNHC 011755 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1255 PM EST SUN MAR 1 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A STRONG COLD FRONT HAS NEARLY CLEARED THE GULF EXTENDING FROM S FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. GALE WARNINGS REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE N MIDDLE AND NE WATERS...CLOSEST TO THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND OVER THE FAR SW WATERS... WHERE LOCAL TOPOGRAPHY ENHANCES FUNNELING. NW TO N WINDS ARE IN THE 20-30 KT RANGE ELSEWHERE WITH SEAS UP TO 15 FT. AS THE LOW MOVES UP THE E COAST AND CANADIAN HIGH PRES SURGES S...WINDS AND SEAS WILL STEADILY DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE LATE TONIGHT AND LESS THAN 20 KT AND 8 FT BY MON NIGHT/EARLY TUE. THE HIGH MOVES OFF THE E COAST OF THE CONUS WED ALLOWING WINDS TO SHIFT E TO SE OVER THE E AND MIDDLE WATERS AND SLY OVER THE W GULF. CARIBBEAN... SFC OBS AND QSCAT DATA SHOW NEAR NORMAL TRADES E OF 75W AND LIGHT WINDS W OF THERE DUE TO THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT OVER THE SE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL THIS EVENING WITH 20-25 KT NLY WINDS FORECAST BEHIND IT. THE FRONT SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO CONTINUE SE REACHING FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO NICARAGUA MON AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE FROM NEAR THE MONA PASSAGE TO 14N75W TUE AND WED. HOWEVER...EVEN AS THE FRONT DISSIPATES...NLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN FRESH TO STRONG OVER THE W CARIBBEAN DUE TO THE TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING SE OVER THE W ATLC. SEAS ARE FORECAST TO BE HIGHEST OVER THE SW CARIB WHERE THE FETCH IS GREATEST. LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED OVER THE FAR E CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE PERIOD. ATLANTIC... STRONG COLD FRONT IS APPROACHING THE NW PORTION AND IN RESPONSE SLY WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 20-25 KT N OF 27N W OF 75W. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER TODAY WITH WINDS APPROACHING GALE FORCE N OF 30N OVER THE NW/N CENTRAL WATERS WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 10-15 FT. THE FRONT WEAKENS SLIGHTLY AS IT MOVES E...DUE TO LOW PRES RACING N UP THE E COAST. THE FRONT IS PROGGED TO EXTEND FROM 31N73W TO CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT...FROM 31N69W TO WINDWARD PASSAGE MON EVENING...FROM 27N65W TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TUE...THEN WEAKEN JUST SE OF THE AREA WED AND THU. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA W OF THE FRONT ALLOWING CONDITIONS TO DIMINISH ACROSS THE N WATERS BUT INCREASE NE/E WINDS OVER THE SRN WATERS. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING S OF 23N W OF 93W AND N OF 28N E OF 90W...GMZ082 GMZ084 AND GMZ086. FORECASTER CANGIALOSI. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.