000 AGXX40 KNHC 230601 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EDT FRI MAR 23 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC AND SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDING FROM 30N88W TO 19N93W WILL DRIFT NW UNTIL OVERRUN BY A WEAK COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS LATE THIS MORNING. THE MERGED BOUNDARY WILL MOVE SE AND EXTEND FROM THE FL PANHANDLE TO EXTREME SE TX ON SAT AFTERNOON...AND REACH ALONG 25N FROM CENTRAL FL TO THE CENTRAL GULF SUN AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE SE THROUGH THE FL STRAITS SUN NIGHT. BY THEN A SURFACE HIGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE N-CENTRAL GULF. THE HIGH WILL DRIFT E ALONG 29N MON...THEN SHIFT WELL NE OF AREA TUE WITH RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE CAROLINAS TO NE TX COASTAL PLAINS. SE RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF BY TUE NIGHT. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... ENHANCED NE-E TRADES AT 20-25 KT ACROSS ATLC WATERS FROM 18N-25N TO THE W OF 55W WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT SAT AS SURFACE HIGH SHIFTS SE INTO AREA NEAR 29N66W. SOUTHERLY WINDS ALONG W PERIPHERY OF THIS HIGH WILL INCREASE TO 15-20 KT OVER THE WATERS N OF 28N W OF 76W SAT AFTERNOON. THIS SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL FURTHER INCREASE TO 20-30 KT EARLY SAT NIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE GA COAST LATE SAT NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM BERMUDA TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AROUND SUNRISE MON...FROM 31N60W TO 25N65W TO CUBA AT 22N77W AROUND SUNRISE TUE...AND FROM 27N55W TO HISPANIOLA AROUND SUNRISE WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... ATLC HIGH PRES WILL MAINTAIN 15-20 KT NE-E TRADES ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SAT AND ENHANCED TO 20-25 KT ALONG THE NW COAST OF COLOMBIA. THE TRADES WILL DIMINISH SAT NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT ENTERS THE NW CARIBBEAN WITH WINDS BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE NEAR THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS NE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TUE AFTERNOON AND STALL INTO WED. 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 NELSON