000 AGXX40 KNHC 200706 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST SUN DEC 20 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... N WINDS CONTINUE TO DIMINISHED ACROSS THE GULF REGION AS A HIGH PRES BUILDS IN. THE SURFACE HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE MS DELTA LATE TODAY WILL SHIFT E TO THE FL PANHANDLE MON NIGHT WITH SLY RETURN FLOW INCREASING W OF 95W MON NIGHT THEN SPREADING E TO COVER AREA W OF 85W TUE NIGHT. MARINE GUIDANCE INDICATES SLY WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST MIDDAY WED. MAX WINDS OF 30 KT ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... WEAKENING FRONT FROM EASTERN CUBA TO THE SW CARIBBEAN WILL PERSIST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS THEN WILL BECOME A FRONTAL TROUGH IN ABOUT 36 HOURS...SEPARATING N WINDS AT 20 TO 25 KT FROM E TRADES THROUGH WED. SAME FRONT WILL CONTINUE E INTO N PORTION OF TROPICAL ATLC TONIGHT AND MEANDER ALONG 20-21N THROUGH AT LEAST WED. LONG PERIOD N SWELLS BEHIND THE FRONT OVER ATLC WATERS E OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WILL MIX WITH E TRADE SWELLS S OF 15N TODAY REACHING THE S AMERICAN COAST TONIGHT. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE AREA NEAR 31N57W THEN CONTINUES SW TO EASTERN CUBA. W TO NW WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT ARE NOTED W OF FRONT N OF 27N. WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED BELOW GALE FORCE AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AFFECTING THE SE WATERS TONIGHT. LARGE SEAS AS HIGH AS 17 FT BEHIND FRONT WILL AFFECT WATERS E OF THE BAHAMAS. WINDS AND SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE FROM W TO E THROUGH TUE. GUIDANCE HANGS ONTO TO FRONTAL TROUGH OR SHEAR AXIS EXTENDING E TO W ALONG 21N E OF 75W THROUGH MID WEEK AND INCREASES GRADIENT OVER WATERS S OF 25N LATE TUE THROUGH THU. COMPUTER MODELS SHOW A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS IN THIS AREA. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/MN