000 AGXX40 KNHC 061800 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST WED JAN 6 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A 1029 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES AREA IS EASTWARD THROUGH THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. BUOYS ARE SHOWING GENERALLY 10 TO 15 KT WINDS AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH PRES. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 3 TO 5 FT ALTHOUGH HIGHER SEAS OF UP TO 8 FT IN N SWELL MAY STILL LINGER OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF IN THE BAY OF CAMPECHE AND NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATER TODAY BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND DEEPENING LOW PRES MOVING INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE LOW WILL LIFT OUT TO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TONIGHT...FOLLOWED BY A NEW BLAST OF COLD AIR PUSHING S DOWN THE PLAINS. THIS COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY THU...DELIVERING WINDS TO GALE FORCE OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN GULF...PARTICULARLY OFF THE MEXICAN COAST S OF TAMPICO. GALES WILL PERSIST IN THE FAR SW GULF ALONG THE COAST S OF VERACRUZ FROM LATE THU INTO SAT. THE FRONT WILL CLEAR THE SE GULF BY LATE FRI OR EARLY SAT...FOLLOWED BY STRONG WINDS. SEAS OF UP TO 14 FT OR MORE WITH N SWELL BY SAT OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM NW TO SE SUN THROUGH MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS TO THE N. SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE MON INTO TUE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A SHEAR LINE REMAINS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN FROM EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO NEAR WESTERN PANAMA. LATEST ASCAT AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PERSIST ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN W OF THE SHEAR LINE. WITH A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN...MODERATE TO FRESH E TRADEWIND FLOW PREVAILS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE SW N ATLANTIC THROUGH FRI WHICH WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN TRADEWINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PART OF THE BASIN...WHILE DIMINISHING ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN. 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 WESTERN HONDURAS SAT NIGHT...AND SW HAITI TO COSTA RICA BY LATE SUN NIGHT. STRONG TO NEAR GALE CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW THE COLD FRONT AS FAR SOUTH AS THE NICARAGUAN COAST BY LATE SUN. FURTHER EAST...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SHIFT INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND STALL OVER THE FAR N PORTION OF THE AREA THU. NORTHERLY SWELLS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLANTIC...MIXING WITH NE SWELL S OF 15N. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N57W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. AN ASCAT PASS SHOWED WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT N OF 29N W OF THE FRONT...A LITTLE LOWER THAN EXPECTED. 20 TO 25 KT NW FLOW WAS NOTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA NW OF THE FRONT S OF 31N. BUOYS ARE SHOWING SEAS TO BE 8 TO 12 FT WITH LINGERING NW SWELL OUTSIDE OF THE BAHAMAS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH WILL DECREASE THE WINDS THROUGH THU NIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE N OF THE BAHAMAS THU NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO SHIFT OFF THE SE COAST EARLY FRI MORNING. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA BY SAT MORNING...AND FROM 31N60W TO EASTERN CUBA BY SUN MORNING. ANOTHER ROUND OF COLD AIR WILL PUSH OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST BY LATE SAT REINFORCING THE FRONT. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE E OF THE COLD FRONT N OF 29N FRI. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS ON SUN 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... .NONE. 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