000 AGXX40 KNHC 051839 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 140 PM EST TUE JAN 5 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... BUOY AND WINDSAT DATA SHOW 20 TO 25 KT FLOW OVER MUCH OF THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN GULF WATERS THIS MORNING. BUOYS OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF ARE ALSO REPORTING SEAS OF 8 TO 10 FT WITH N SWELL. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH TONIGHT AS 1034 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THROUGH THU. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH TEXAS OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE NW GULF BY EARLY THU. STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT...DELIVERING GALE FORCE WINDS TO WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO BY LATE THU...AND WILL PERSISTING OVER THE FAR SW GULF OF MEXICO MAINLY S OF VERACRUZ INTO SAT. FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT AS IT SWEEPS THROUGH THE SE GULF BY SAT AFTERNOON. WINDS START TO DIMINISH BY LATE SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS FROM TEXAS INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. SEAS WILL REMAIN 8 TO 13 FT WITH N SWELL MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF THROUGH SUN. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... BUOY...SHIP AND WINDSAT DATA SHOW FRESH TO STRONG NE FLOW OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN THIS MORNING. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL MAINTAIN THIS FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN THROUGH THU. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD N OF THE AREA FROM S FLORIDA TO EAST OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH FRI...ALLOWING WINDS TO DIMINISH OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN...BUT INDUCING TRADE WINDS TO INCREASE OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN THROUGH SAT...WITH WINDS REACHING 25 KT OFF THE SOUTH AMERICAN COAST. SEAS BUILD TO AS HIGH AS 12 FT BY FRI OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS AND EAST SWELL. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL ON SAT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM SE CUBA TO EASTERN HONDURAS BY SUN MORNING...FOLLOWED BY STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS. THE FRONT WILL PUSH FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH SUN...REACHING FROM SW HAITI TO SOUTHERN NICARAGUA BY LATE SUN NIGHT. MEANWHILE OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC...A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WATERS NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS BY WED NIGHT...STALLING FROM 25N55W TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BY THU. ATLC BUOYS ARE REPORTING N SWELL OF UP TO 10 FT. NORTHERLY SWELL WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... AN ASCAT PASS FROM 1530Z SHOWED 20 TO 30 KT WINDS OVER THE WATERS N OF 26N...W OF A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDED FROM 31N63W TO 25N74W. BUOYS INDICATE SEAS OF 8 TO 12 FT IN N SWELL MAINLY N OF 25N. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SE AND STALL FROM 25N55W TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS BY THU. WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST BEHIND THE FRONT AND AS HIGH PRES BUILDS FROM FLORIDA TO E OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THU. SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE N OF THE BAHAMAS E OF N FLORIDA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST EARLY FRI MORNING. THE FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM BERMUDA TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY EARLY SAT...WITH AREA OF STRONG SW WINDS SHIFTING EAST TO THE SOUTH OF BERMUDA. ANOTHER ROUND OF COLD AIR WILL PUSH OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST BY LATE SAT REINFORCING THE FRONT. THE MAIN ISSUE FOR LATE SUN WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA...MAINLY DUE TO THE COLD AIR ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 27N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W TONIGHT. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED GMZ080-082 THU AND GMZ08W S OF 21N W OF 95W FRI AND SAT. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN