000
AGXX40 KNHC 220726
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION         
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
330 AM EDT WED APR 22 2009

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W.

GULF OF MEXICO...
A DEEP TROUGH OVER THE E CONUS CONTINUES MOVING EASTWARD AS A 
STRONG UPPER LEVEL JET MAXIMUM CONTINUES TO ROUND THE BASE OF 
THE TROUGH. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT HAS RECENTLY CLEARED THE 
GULF...WITH A SECONDARY COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE FLORIDA 
BIG BEND TO SE LOUISIANA. W WINDS UP TO 20 KT FOLLOW THE 
SECONDARY FRONT. THE SECONDARY FRONT IS FORECAST TO HAVE MOVED 
E OF THE GULF BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE 
TRANSLATING EASTWARD ACROSS THE N GULF TODAY THROUGH THU. LIGHT 
AND VARIABLE SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF 
NEAR THIS SURFACE HIGH. THEN...SE RETURN FLOW AROUND THIS HIGH 
IS FORECAST TO INCREASE OVER THE W GULF BY LATE THIS WEEK...WITH 
A LARGE AREA OF 20-25 KT WINDS FRI AND SAT ACROSS THE GULF 
REGION. THESE WINDS WILL BUILD SEAS TO 6 TO 8 FT BY SAT ACROSS 
THE MIDDLE AND WEST GULF...WITH SEAS UP TO 9 FT ACROSS THE NW 
GULF BY SUN WHERE FETCH LENGTH WILL BE MAXIMIZED.
 
SW N ATLC...
THE DEEP LAYER TROUGH DISCUSSED IN THIS GULF OF MEXICO SECTION 
IS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM 31N73W TO NW 
CUBA...AND A SECONDARY COLD FRONT THAT HAS RECENTLY PUSHED OFF 
THE GEORGIA COAST. SOUTHERLY WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE AHEAD OF 
THE EASTERN FRONT...WITH THE ASCAT PASS AROUND 22/0200 UTC AND 
MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATING S WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT AHEAD OF THE 
FRONT N OF 27N. THESE WINDS WILL TRACK EASTWARD AS THE FRONT 
PROGRESSES EASTWARD THROUGH TONIGHT...BEFORE THE FRONT WEAKENS 
AND WINDS DIMINISH. ALSO...W TO NW WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT WILL 
CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE SECONDARY FRONT AS IT TRACKS EASTWARD 
THROUGH TONIGHT AND MERGES WITH THE EASTERN FRONT. SEAS TO 9 FT 
ARE FORECAST N OF 29N E OF THE EASTERN FRONT THROUGH TONIGHT... 
THOUGH THEY WILL SUBSIDE AS THE WINDS AROUND THE FRONT DIMINISH 
THEREAFTER. STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE W 
ATLC AND SE CONUS BY LATE WEEK WILL INCREASE NE TO E WINDS TO 20 
TO 25 KT ACROSS AREAS S OF 28N...INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS. THESE 
WINDS WILL BUILD SEAS TO 6 TO 9 FT.

CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...
FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE AREA FOR THE 
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE 
OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC WILL FOCUS THE STRONGEST OF THESE WINDS S 
OF 18N AND OVER THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE AREA THROUGH 
THURSDAY. THEREAFTER...A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL 
ATLC AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SE CONUS AND SW NORTH 
ATLC WILL FOCUS THE STRONGEST TRADES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF 
THE AREA...WITH WINDS INCREASING THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE 
INTO SAT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND NEAR THE COAST OF 
COLOMBIA...WHERE THEY WILL REACH 30 KT THROUGH EARLY SAT. WHILE 
SLIGHTLY STRONGER WINDS COULD PERIODICALLY OCCUR NEAR THE COAST 
OF COLOMBIA...GALE FORCE WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME DUE 
TO RELATIVELY WEAK LAPSE RATES BETWEEN THE SURFACE AND STRONGER 
WINDS ALOFT. THE TRADES WILL BUILD WAVES TO AT LEAST 8 FT S OF 
15N...WITH SEAS OF 9-13 FT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THE 
TRADES ARE FORECAST TO BEGIN DECREASING BY SUNDAY AS SURFACE 
RIDGING N OF THE AREA WEAKENS WITH THE DEPARTURE OF AN UPPER 
RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC.

ATLC...
.NONE.. 

CARIBBEAN...
.NONE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
.NONE.

FORECASTER COHEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.