000 AGXX40 KNHC 220641 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 AM EDT TUE MAY 22 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A PERSISTENT SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES TO EXTEND FROM THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN INTO THE SE GULF WATERS WITH WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. LATEST SHIP...BUOY...CMAN OBSERVATIONS ALONG WITH SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS DEPICT LIGHT TO GENTLE BREEZE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS WITH SEAS GENERALLY 1 TO 2 FT. MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF WATERS DUE TO THE TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER AND THE TROUGH OVER THE SE GULF WATERS WITH SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. MODELS INDICATE THIS SAME GENERAL PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A PERSISTENT TROUGH CONTINUES ALONG THE FAR WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS WITH WEAK AND BROAD LOW PRESSURE AT THE BASE OF THE TROUGH. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS N OF THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. LATEST SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS ALONG WITH SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS INDICATE MODERATE SE WINDS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN AND FRESH TRADEWINDS OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE INTERACTION OF THE SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WITH AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BY MIDWEEK. THIS INTERACTION WILL AMPLIFY THE SURFACE TROUGH BY MIDWEEK THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... TROPICAL DEPRESSION ALBERTO WAS LOCATED NEAR 30.9N 76.5W AND 11 PM MONDAY. THE DEPRESSION HAS STARTED ITS ANTICIPATED ACCELERATION TO THE NORTHEAST...WITH ITS INFLUENCE OVER THE FORECAST AREA HAS DECREASED. AS MENTIONED ABOVE...A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO THE SE GULF OF MEXICO WILL AMPLIFY BY MIDWEEK INTO THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH FRIDAY. WEAK RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO PREVAIL OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE OUTPUT IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE (LOWER CASE) GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .NONE. ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL