000 AGXX40 KNHC 301815 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 115 PM EST WED DEC 30 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A VERY WEAK 1017 MB LOW PRES AREA IS CENTERED NEAR GALVESTON BAY WITH A TRAILING TROUGH TO 26N96W. 20 TO 25 KT SE TO S WINDS ARE NOTED AT BUOY 42047 IN THE NW GULF...AS WELL AS COASTAL STATIONS IN E TEXAS...AHEAD OF THE LOW PRES. LIGHT TO MODERATE SE WINDS PREVAIL ELSEWHERE. THIS WILL SHIFT NE TO LOWER ALABAMA THROUGH THU MORNING...IN ADVANCE OF A DEEP LAYER TROUGH DIGGING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE GULF TONIGHT...REACHING A POSITION FROM ROUGHLY MOBILE BAY TO S OF TAMPICO BY THU MORNING...AND FROM TAMPA TO VERACRUZ BY FRI MORNING. COLD AIR FILTERING IN BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DELIVER FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS THU INTO FRI...WITH WINDS ALONG THE MEXICAN COAST REACHING 30 KT THU NIGHT.THE FRONT WILL SWEEP SE OF THE AREA LATE FRI. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH ACROSS THE GULF INTO SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH STATES. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL PUSH OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY LATE SUN...BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS TO PRIMARILY THE NW GULF ON MON. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... 1033 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE CAROLINAS IS MAINTAINING FRESH TO STRONG TRADES OVER PRIMARILY THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN LATE FRI...FOLLOWED BY 20 KT NORTHERLY FLOW. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN AS IT SHIFTS SOUTHWARD...STALLING AND DISSIPATING FROM HAITI TO EASTERN HONDURAS SUN WITH DIMINISHING NORTHERLY WINDS. TRADES OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND ATLC WATERS E OF THE ISLANDS INCREASE SUN INTO MON AS HIGH PRES OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC SHIFTS S AHEAD OF THE ADVANCING FRONT. FOR TROPICAL ATLC WATERS...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 25N55W THROUGH THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THIS WILL SHIFT SE THROUGH THU THEN STALL ALONG 17N BY LATE THU THEN DISSIPATE THROUGH FRI. MEANWHILE LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL WITH HEIGHTS TO 8 FT IS PUSHING INTO ATLANTIC PASSAGES...AND THIS WILL TO UP TO 10 FT THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES IS MOVING THROUGH THE CAROLINAS INTO THE WESTERN ATLC. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS STARTING TO INCREASE IN THE WATERS N OF THE BAHAMAS...ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HIGH PRES AND AHEAD OF LOW PRES ADVANCING ENE FROM THE NW GULF OF MEXICO TO THE CAROLINAS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST THU NIGHT...REACHING FROM 31N60W TO EASTERN CUBA...FOLLOWED BY FRESH TO STRONG NW WINDS MAINLY N OF 25N. THE MAIN ISSUE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE SW WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT REACHING GALE FORCE BY LATE FRI...MAINLY N OF 28N E OF 70W. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL WITH HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 8 FT NEAR THE BAHAMAS TO 22 FT E OF BERMUDA WILL PUSH TO THE EAST OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS THROUGH FRI. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL MOVE INTO THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA SUN INTO MON...DELIVERING A NEW ROUND OF STRONG W TO NW WINDS PRIMARILY N OF 25N THROUGH MON. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. AMZ080...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED FRI N OF 29N ALONG FRONT. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN