000 AGXX40 KNHC 051741 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 145 PM EDT MON APR 5 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... AN E TO W RIDGE ACROSS THE SE CONUS ALONG ROUGHLY 33-34N WILL MAINTAIN THE E-SE RETURN FLOW. A CURRENT SWATH OF 15-20 KT WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL WATERS FROM FL STRAITS TO TX WILL SPREAD TO OVER MOST OF THE AREA TUE NIGHT. LOCALLY ENHANCED NE WINDS WILL CONTINUE DURING EVENINGS ALONG THE NW YUCATAN COAST. A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST AROUND SUNSET WED. GUIDANCE IS BECOMING MORE CONSISTENT ON THE STRENGTH OF THE POST FRONTAL NLY WINDS...SO WILL GO WITH 30 KT MAX...AND SEAS TO 11 FT...OVER THE W GULF WATERS TILL AROUND SUNSET FRI. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH THE FL STRAITS EARLY FRI NIGHT. HIGH PRES CENTER WILL DEVELOP NW GULF SAT AND SHIFT NE TO OVER CAROLINAS SUN WITH RIDGE EXTENDING SW ACROSS THE NW COASTAL PLAINS. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES CENTERED AT 32N75W HAS A RIDGE S TO 20N75W. THE HIGH SHOULD SHIFT S A TAD WITH ITS RIDGE ORIENTATED E-W ALONG 29N TUE AND WED...THEN RETRACT EASTWARD ON THU ALLOWING THE NEXT COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF SE CONUS THU NIGHT...REACHING FROM 31N72W TO SE FL LATE FRI...FROM 31N68W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS LATE FRI NIGHT THEN DRIFT SE WASHING OUT OVER THE WATERS W OF 65W THROUGH SUN NIGHT...BUT PERSIST ALONG 24N BETWEEN 65W AND 55W INTO MON. SURFACE LOW PRES IS NEAR 32N48W WITH GRADIENT PRODUCING NLY WINDS AT 20 KT OVER THE DISCUSSION WATERS E OF 62W. EXPECT THESE WINDS TO DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT OVER WATERS W OF 55W LATE TONIGHT. AS SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHERN WATERS EARLY THIS WEEK THE ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL BE IN THE 5-10 KT RANGE OVER ALL WATERS N OF 27N ROTATING CLOCKWISE AROUND RIDGE. SLY RETURN FLOW OVER THE NW WATERS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE THU AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THU NIGHT WITH NLY FLOW BEHIND FRONT NOT EXPECTED TO AT 15 TO 20 KT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A COUPLE OF FRONTAL TROUGHS OVER THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS ARE QUICKLY DISSIPATING. NE TO E TRADES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD TILL NEXT FRONT ARRIVE YUCATAN CHANNEL EARLY FRI NIGHT. LOCALLY ENHANCED WINDS AND SEAS CONTINUE ALONG THE NW DIMINISHING SOME AFTER THU. NE WINDS TO 20 KT ARE ALSO NOTED ACROSS THE WINDWARD AND MONA PASSAGES. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER NELSON