000 AGXX40 KNHC 040801 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 400 AM EDT TUE SEP 04 2012 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 EXTENDS FROM W CENTRAL FLORIDA TO A 1017 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES CENTERED NEAR 26N88W TO THE TEXAS COAST. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS COVER THE GULF WATERS. THE HIGHEST WINDS ARE SW AT 15 KT OFF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. THE RIDGE AXIS WILL GRADUALLY SLIDE SOUTH TO 25N THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...AHEAD OF A WEAK TROUGH DIGGING THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES FRI AND SAT. NORTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER THE FAR NW GULF LATE SAT...AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT THAT WILL SLIP INTO THE NW WATERS SUN. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM LESLIE IS CENTERED NEAR 24.5N 62.5W AT 03/0600 UTC...MOVING NNW AT 7 KT. MAX SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 55 KT WITH GUSTS TO 65 KT AND AN ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 998 MB. THE SHEAR...THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING LESLIE...IS EXPECTED TO RELAX. THIS WILL GIVE LESLIE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN STRENGTH. BASED ON THE NHC OFFICIAL INTENSITY FORECAST...LESLIE IS EXPECTED TO BECOME A MINIMAL HURRICANE BY THU EVENING. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON LESLIE...PLEASE REFER TO NHC FORECAST/ ADVISORY UNDER AWIPS/WMO HEADERS MIATCMAT2/WTNT22 KNHC. THE RADIUS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS ARE NOW EXPECTED TO BARELY PUSH INTO THE OFFSHORE ZONES. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ISSUE TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS FOR AFFECTING AMZ115 AND AMZ121...FROM 25N TO 28N AS FAR W AS 65W FOR LATE WED AFTERNOON. MEANWHILE EASTERLY SWELL TO 8 FT HAS FINALLY REACHED BUOY 41047 NEAR 27.5N 71.5W. SEAS ARE CONTINUING TO SUBSIDE AT BUOY 41046 NEAR 24N68W...AND ARE LIKELY NO MORE THAN 6 FT ALONG THE NORTHERN COASTS OF PUERTO RICO AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. MWW3 AND ECWAVE ARE INDICATING NORTHERLY SWELL TO 7 OR 8 FT FROM LESLIE WILL RETURN TO THESE AREAS HOWEVER BY THE WEEKEND. ELSEWHERE E OF 70W...HIGH PRES...LIGHT WINDS AND SEAS 3 FT OR LESS WILL PERSIST. UPPER LEVEL LOW PRES CENTERED OVER ANDROS ISLAND IS CONTRIBUTING A FEW SHOWERS ALONG AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE BAHAMAS THAT WILL GRADUALLY DRIFT W OF THE AREA THROUGH TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM LESLIE CONTINUES TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE AREA. RESIDUAL SWELL FROM LESLIE UP TO 6 FT IS POSSIBLE EARLY TODAY NEAR THE LEEWARD ISLANDS...BUT THIS WILL SUBSIDE FURTHER THIS AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE LIGHT TO MODERATE EASTERLY FLOW WILL PERSIST...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF UP TO 20 KT OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...AND OCCASIONALLY 20 KT IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS MAINLY AT NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS WILL REMAIN GENERALLY LESS THAN 8 FT. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/CHRISTENSEN