000 AGXX40 KNHC 260725 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM EDT THU JUL 26 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... THE WESTERN PART OF ATLC SUBTROPICAL RIDGE EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN FL TO THE NE TX COAST WITH A WEAKENING SURFACE TROUGH NE OF THE RIDGE EXTENDING S FROM THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA TO NEAR 27N85W. RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WITH LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE PATTERN EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. MODERATE TO FRESH S-SE RETURN FLOW WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE W CENTRAL WATERS THROUGH SAT. ENHANCEMENT OF NE WINDS ALONG NW YUCATAN PENINSULA WILL OCCUR DURING EVENING HOURS THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE GRADIENT WILL BE STRENGTHENED TONIGHT AS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF A TROPICAL WAVE APPROACHES THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... A FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS PUSHED SOUTHWARD OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE U.S. AND EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF AMZ113 AND AMZ115 FROM 31N65W TO 30N70W TO 31N74W. ASCAT SHOWS FRESH TO STRONG W-SW WINDS S OF THE FRONT ROUGHLY N OF 29N BETWEEN 65W AND 72W. THE FRONT HAS FORCED THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE SOUTHWARD FROM ITS USUAL POSITION. THE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS FROM 23N65W ACROSS THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS TO SOUTHERN FLORIDA. THE RIDGE WILL SHIFT N AGAIN SAT... REACHING FROM 26N65W TO 27N80W. WINDS AND SEAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH TONIGHT AS THE FRONT WEAKENS NE OF THE AREA. MODERATE-FRESH TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST S OF THE RIDGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES RIDGE N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG E-NE WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. EXPECT WINDS TO INCREASE TO AROUND 30 KT NEAR COAST OF COLOMBIA LATER TODAY... AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRI EVENING WITH MAX SEAS BUILDING TO 11-14 FT ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THE AREA OF FRESH-STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO EXPAND WESTWARD REACHING THE COAST OF NICARAGUA BY FRI. A TROPICAL WAVE ALONG 84W IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WILL REACH THE YUCATAN PENINSULA FRI. A SECOND TROPICAL WAVE...WITH A WELL DEFINED INVERTED V PATTERN ON SATELLITE IMAGERY...WILL MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS FRI AND INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN SAT. SATELLITE IMAGERY AND SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW ANOTHER WAVE WITH A CLOSED LOW EMBEDDED WITHIN THE MONSOON TROUGH NEAR 13N29W. THIS WAVE CURRENTLY WELL E OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL REACH ALONG 36W TONIGHT...ALONG 42W FRI NIGHT...AND ALONG 49W SAT NIGHT. THE GFS GLOBAL MODEL SUGGESTS THAT THE LOW PRES WILL MOVE IN TANDEM WITH THE TROPICAL WAVE WITH LITTLE OR NO INTENSIFICATION. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL