000 AGXX40 KNHC 131800 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST MON DEC 13 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS CONTINUE OVER PRIMARILY THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO AT THIS TIME...FOLLOWING A POWERFUL ARCTIC COLD FRONT THAT PUSHED THROUGH THE GULF LAST NIGHT. WHILE NO BUOYS OR SCATTEROMETER DATA INDICATE SUSTAINED GALE FORCE WINDS SINCE LAST NIGHT...WIND GUSTS AT BUOY 42036 IN THE NE GULF WERE EXCEEDING GALE FORCE FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS MORNING...BUT HAVE DROPPED TO BELOW GALE FORCE IN THE PAST HOUR. BUOYS ALSO INDICATE SEAS TO AT LEAST 18 FT. OVER THE EASTERN GULF. EXPECT WINDS TO DIMINISH GRADUALLY THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS ACROSS THE GULF AS HIGH PRES BUILDS EASTWARD THROUGH THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND INTO THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. SEAS IN EXCESS OF 8 FT WILL LINGER OVER THE FAR SE GULF THROUGH LATE TUE...BUT OVERALL SUBSIDE TO LESS THAN 5 FT ACROSS THE GULF BY LATE TUE NIGHT. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL START TO INCREASE OVER THE NW GULF BY LATE TUE...AS LOW PRES DEEPENS OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS...WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 9 FT OVER THE FAR NW GULF BY WED NIGHT. THE LOW WILL SHIFT E INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THROUGH EARLY THU...ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF WED INTO THU. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE FAR NORTHERN WATERS LATE THU...THEN GENERALLY STALL FROM THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE FAR NE COAST OF MEXICO BY SAT MORNING. MODERATE TO FRESH N FLOW WILL FOLLOW THE WEAK FRONT OVER THE NW GULF SAT...THEN DIMINISH BY LATE SAT. CARIBBEAN AND TROP N ATLC W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA TO BELIZE WILL SHIFT SE. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SE AND REACH FROM 18N75W TO EASTERN PANAMA BY EARLY TUE...AND WILL BE DISSIPATING AS IT GOES AS A FRONTAL SYSTEM. STRONG N FLOW WILL FOLLOW BEHIND THE BOUNDARY ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN INTO WED...WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 12 FT ALONG THE COAST OF PANAMA IN N SWELL. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH IN MOST AREAS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WED AND THU. WINDS WILL PICK UP THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES BY LATE WED...THEN ACROSS THE ENTIRE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC THU INTO FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY SAT...ALTHOUGH 8 TO 9 FT IN NW AND N SWELL WILL PERSIST IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC. SW N ATLC W OF 65W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N72W TO CENTRAL CUBA WILL REACH FROM NEAR 25N65W TO THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TUE MORNING...THEN SHIFT SE OF THE AREA BY LATE TUE. A WIND SAT PASS FROM 12Z THIS MORNING INDICATED WINDS TO GALE FORCE JUST BEHIND THE FRONT. BUOY 41010 NEAR 29N79W DID NOT INDICATE GALE FORCE WINDS OR GUSTS...BUT IS SHOWING SEAS 13 TO 15 IN N SWELL. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE AHEAD OF AND BEHIND THE FRONT NE OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH TUE MORNING. SEAS IN EXCESS OF 20 FT WILL PERSIST MAINLY IN THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA THROUGH LATE TUE NIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH FURTHER STARTING WED...AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT WED THROUGH THU WITH A RIDGE ALONG 26N THU THROUGH FRI. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST SAT THEN STALL. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 27N WITHIN 180 NM E OF FRONT TODAY THROUGH TUE. .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 25N W OF FRONT TODAY THROUGH TUE NIGHT. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN