000 AGXX40 KNHC 281827 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EDT FRI SEP 28 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... HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED N OF THE AREA OVER THE SE UNITED STATES WITH ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PREVAILING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. LATEST SCATTEROMETER...SHIP...AND BUOY DATA INDICATE GENTLE TO MODERATE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN GULF WITH MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF WATERS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 2 FT OR LESS OVER THE EASTERN GULF...AND 2 TO 4 FT OVER THE WESTERN GULF WATERS. FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK WITH LOW PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT SHIFTING OFF THE TEXAS COAST ON SUN MORNING. LATEST MODEL TRENDS INDICATE A SLIGHTLY DEEPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM...WITH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. HAVE BUMPED UP WINDS AND SEAS...LOCALLY TO 8 FT...ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO ACCOUNT FOR LATEST CHANGES IN FORECAST GUIDANCE. OTHERWISE...SCENARIO REMAINS THE SAME WITH COLD FRONT REACHING FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE E BAY OF CAMPECHE MONDAY BEFORE STALLING. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE PREVAILS N OF THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA WITH A TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH IS OVER THE FAR SE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. LATEST SCATTEROMETER...SHIP...AND BUOY DATA DEPICT GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADEWINDS PREVAILING ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA...WITH LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE SURFACE TROUGHS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 4 TO 6 FT IN NE TO E SWELL OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA AND 2 TO 4 FT OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE AREA. THE SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE SE PORTION WILL MOVE AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THE SUBTROPICAL HIGH THROUGH SAT...THEN WILL DISSIPATE BY SUN. THE SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL ALSO DISSIPATE BY SUN AS HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE LIGHT OVER THE N HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA IN THE VICINITY OF THE RIDGE...AND MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA WHERE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE TIGHTER. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... WEAK HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS N OF THE AREA WITH A TROPICAL WAVE OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS. LATEST SCATTEROMETER... SHIP...AND BUOY DATA DEPICT GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADEWINDS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 4 FT OR LESS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE RELATIVELY BENIGN CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND. BY SUN...SURFACE RIDGING BUILDS BACK STRONGER N OF THE AREA WHICH WILL FRESHEN THE TRADE WINDS...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WATERS. THE TROPICAL WAVE WILL CONTINUE ITS WESTWARD TRACK MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE WEEKEND. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL