000 AGXX40 KNHC 201843 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 145 PM EST SUN NOV 20 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 RIDGE OF HIGH PRES WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS THROUGH TUE BEFORE SHIFTING E AS A COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TUE/EARLY WED. THIS WILL MAINTAIN FRESH E TRADES THROUGH TUE. FRESH SE RETURN FLOW WILL PREVAIL OFF THE TEXAS COAST THROUGH TUE NIGHT IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. THESE WINDS ARE SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS...WITH SEAS 3 TO 6 FT REPORTED ACROSS THE GULF. THE COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TUE/EARLY WED...AND EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA TO VERACRUZ MEXICO BY WED EVENING...WHERE IT WILL STALL AND BECOME DIFFUSE THROUGH THU. FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS WILL PREVAIL W OF THE FRONT THROUGH EARLY THU UNTIL THE FRONT WEAKENS. SW N ATLC N OF 19N W OF 55W... A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE PREVAILS N OF THE AREA. 1010 MB LOW PRES IS CENTERED E OF THE AREA NEAR 22N53W...ALONG A STATIONARY TROUGH GENERALLY ORIENTED N-S ALONG 54W. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS FEATURE AND THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS SUPPORTING FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS OVER THE AREA E OF 70W AS INDICATED BY THE LATEST ASCAT SCATTEROMETER DATA. THE LOW PRES WILL DEEPEN AS IT SHIFTS NE THROUGH TUE. FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER MUCH OF THE AREA E OF 70W...ACCOMPANIED BY NE SWELL TO 12 FT. AS THE LOW DEEPENS...GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN 240 NM NW SEMICIRCLE OF THE LOW BY MON EVENING. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH BY MID WEEK AS THE LOW PRES DRIFTS FURTHER TO THE NE INTO THE CENTRAL N ATLC. SOUTHERLY FLOW OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST WILL INCREASE THROUGH WED...AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH LATE WED. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE THU...AND REACH FROM 31N68W TO WESTERN CUBA BY THU AFTERNOON AND FROM 31N60W TO E CUBA FRI AFTERNOON. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE N OF THE AREA...AND LOW PRESSURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONSOON TROUGH OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN IS SUPPORTING FRESH NE TO E WINDS AS DEPICTED BY THE LATEST ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS AT 1440 UTC. THE GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN BY MIDWEEK AS THE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS EASTWARD...AND WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT BY WED AFTERNOON. 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 AL