000 AGXX40 KNHC 151820 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 220 PM EDT THU SEP 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... 1017 MB HIGH PRES REMAINS ANCHORED OVER THE N CENTRAL GULF NEAR 28N92W. ASCAT PASS AT 1544 UTC SHOWED LIGHT WINDS OVER MOST OF THE GULF. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG COLD FRONT IS PRESSING SOUTHWARD INTO THE GULF STATES...BUT WILL WEAKEN AS IT ENTERS THE FAR NRN GULF TONIGHT BECOMING STATIONARY FRI THEN DISSIPATE THIS WEEKEND. GFS DEPICTS N TO NE WINDS 15 KT BEHIND THE FRONT BRIEFLY TONIGHT DROPPING OFF FRI AND SAT. NE FLOW WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 KT OVER THE EASTERN GULF SUN AND MON AS A TROUGH MOVING INTO THE BAHAMAS TIGHTENS THE PRES GRADIENT IN THE NE GULF AND N FLORIDA. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... ASCAT PASS AT 1406 UTC SHOWS 20 KT WINDS NEAR THE ABC ISLANDS AND ALONG THE VENEZUELA COAST AS RIDGING IN THE N CENTRAL ATLC BUILDS INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. MODERATE TRADE WINDS ARE NOTED E OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS AND LESSER ANTILLES. ENHANCED TRADE WIND FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH SAT IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN BETWEEN HIGH PRES TO THE NE AND MODERATELY ACTIVE MONSOON TROUGH IN THE SW CARIBBEAN S OF 11N...WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 9 FT IN THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN BY FRI MORNING. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM MARIA HAS MOVED N OF THE AREA. WINDS AND SEAS ASSOCIATED WITH MARIA WILL STEADILY DIMINISH TONIGHT AS IT ACCELERATES NE. TRAILING TROUGH SW OF MARIA WILL LINGER ALONG 72W TONIGHT AND FRI...THEN SLOWLY DRIFT WNW ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF NE FLORIDA FRI...THEN STALL AND DISSIPATE BY SAT NIGHT. E TO NE WINDS WILL INCREASE SAT AND SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE CAROLINAS...AND TIGHTENS THE PRES GRADIENT OVER THE NW PORTION. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL