000 AGXX40 KNHC 151756 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT TUE MAR 15 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... COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR MOBILE ALABAMA TO BROWNSVILLE TEXAS. LIGHT AND VARIABLE 5-10 KT WINDS AND SEAS OF 2 FT OR LESS REMAIN ACROSS THE NE GULF WITH E-SE 10-15 KT OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA E OF THE FRONT. RECENT BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE NE WINDS 10-15 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. LATEST RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA INDICATE BI PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN AS AND EXTENDFROM APALACHEE BAY FLORIDA TO 27N90W WED MORNING THEN WILL MOVE E OF THE AREA WED NIGHT WITH HIGH PRES REDEVELOPING OVER THE FAR NE GULF. HIGH PRES WILL THEN REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH SAT WITH SE 10-15 KT RETURN FLOW ONCE AGAIN DOMINATING ACROSS THE GULF. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES RIDGE AXIS FROM JUST S OF BERMUDA TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. LIGHT AND VARIABLE 5-10 KT WINDS PREVAIL NEAR THE RIDGE WITH NE 10-15 KT FLOW ELSEWHERE...EXCEPT 15-20 KT OVER THE SE PORTION AND TO 25 KT NEAR THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN AND E AS A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION FROM THE NW. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFFSHORE OF THE GEORGIA/N FLORIDA COAST WED AFTERNOON AND EXTEND FROM NEAR 31N73W TO GRAND BAHAMA EARLY THU THEN QUICKLY MOVING E OF THE AREA BY EARLY FRI AS HIGH PRES REBUILDS IN FROM THE CAROLINAS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT IN AND NEAR THE WINDWARD AND MONA PASSAGES AND IN THE LEE OF E CUBA CONTINUE. SIMILAR WINDS ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AND ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25-30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA TONIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE NE-E 10-15 KT TRADES ARE PREVALENT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. TRADES WILL INCREASE TO AT LEAST 15-20 KT FRI AND SAT INCLUDING OVER THE TROPICAL ATLC ZONE N OF 16N AS THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN STRENGTHENING LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA AND HIGH PRES RIDGING N OF THE AREA TIGHTENS. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS