000 AGXX40 KNHC 120652 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST SAT FEB 12 2011 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... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS JUST SE OF THE AREA OVER WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. NE WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE ARE NOTED BEHIND THE FRONT PER AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS AND SURFACE DATA. A DEVELOPING LOW IN ATLC OFF THE N FL COAST WILL MOVE TO THE NE AND ALLOW HIGH PRES AND A REINFORCING BLAST OF COOL AIR TO BUILD IN ACROSS THE BASIN. HIGH PRES CENTER WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS HIGH AND THE FRONT TO THE SE WILL MAINTAIN A BELT OF FRESH TO STRONG NELY WINDS ACROSS S AND SE PORTION OF THE GULF WATERS. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DECREASE SUN AFTERNOON AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE UP TO 10 FT OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL GULF BEFORE SUBSIDING IN WEAKENING WIND FLOW. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE IS ANCHORED ON A 1031 MB HIGH IN THE ERN ATLC WITH RIDGE EXTENDING SW TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. THE HIGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE SW TO NEAR 29N37W OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A STRONG GRADIENT EXISTS ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLC E OF 50W WHERE SCATTEROMETER WINDS ARE SHOWING A VERY LARGE AREA OF 20-25 KT NE WINDS. THIS IS GENERATING LARGE WIND SWELL THAT WILL DOMINATE THE TROPICAL ATLC AND MOVE THROUGH THE CARIB PASSAGES FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WINDS HAVE SLIGHTLY DIMINISHED ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH AN ASCAT PASS AND SOME SHIP OBSERVATIONS SHOWING NE WINDS OF MAINLY 20 KT WITH SOME WIND BARBS OF 25 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED...A COLD FRONT IS OVER WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THIS FRONT WILL REACH FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS TONIGHT AND FROM EASTERN CUBA TO NEAR CABO GRACIAS A DIOS NICARAGUA BY SUN MORNING BEFORE DISSIPATING LATE SUN. N TO NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT AND BUILDING SEAS UP TO 10 FT ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT. PRES GRADIENT ACROSS THE REST OF THE BASIN WILL WEAKEN SAT THROUGH EARLY PART OF THE WEEK AS THE FRONT WEAKENS ACROSS THE NW CARIB AND THE ATLC RIDGE ALSO WEAKENS. SW N ATLC... A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE FORECAST REGION NEAR 31N75W THEN CONTINUES SW TO WESTERN CUBA. THE 0226 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWS WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT N OF 29N W OF 70W. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE ACROSS THE SW N ATLC REACHING FROM 30N65W TO CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT AND WILL EXTEND OVER THE SE PORTION BY LATE SUN BEFORE DISSIPATING. NW TO N WINDS OF 20 KT CAN BE FOUND IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK OVER 8-9 FT JUST BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL EXTEND A RIDGE EWD INTO THE SW N ATLC AS LOW PRES CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR 32N75W MOVES TO THE NE AND AWAY FROM THE DISCUSSION AREA. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR