000 AGXX40 KNHC 010644 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 AM EDT THU APR 1 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A 1021 SURFACE HIGH IS CENTERED NEAR 27.5N86W. AS A RESULT THE LATEST ASCAT PASS HAS INDICATED LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVER THE NE PART OF THE GULF WITH FRESH SE RETURN FLOW PREVAILING OVER THE W GULF. RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT TONIGHT THROUGH FRI AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRI NIGHT INTO SAT. THE FRONT WILL THEN REACH FROM NEAR SE LOUISIANA TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY SAT EVENING BEFORE STALLING. THE FRONT WILL THEN LIFT N ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF AS A WARM FRONT AS SE RETURN FLOW IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE SETS UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF SUN. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N59W TO HISPANIOLA...WITH A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT E...EXTENDING FROM 31N55W TO THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS TONIGHT..AND THEN E OF THE AREA FRI NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY DRIFT SE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...REACHING A POSITION NEAR 31.5N61W LATE TONIGHT. THIS WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS FEATURE AND THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE AREA AND RESULT IN STRONG TO NEAR GALE WINDS N OF 25N BETWEEN 61W AND 71W LATE TONIGHT. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THROUGH SUN AS THE LOW STARTS TO FILL AND SHIFT E AWAY FROM THE AREA. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT FROM THE SW N ATLC INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLANTIC WATERS TODAY...WHERE IT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE THROUGH SUN. WITH A WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE OVER THE SW N ATLC...FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ARE NOW MAINLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AS CONFIRMED BY THE LATEST ASCAT PASS. THESE TRADES WILL PREVAIL OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...WITH OCCASIONALLY STRONGER TRADES NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. FRESH TRADES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL