000 AGXX40 KNHC 231855 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST SUN DEC 23 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 PRES OVER N FLORIDA MAINTAINS STEADY MODERATES E SE BREEZE AND 1-3 FT SEAS OVER GULF ZONES E OF 94W AND FRESH SE TO S RETURN FLOW WITH SEAS 4-5 FT W OF 94W TODAY AS COLD FRONT APPROACH NORTHWESTERN ZONES. FRONT ENTERS GULF WATERS MON BUT STALLS MON NIGHT N OF 27N AND MAY BACK N OVER COASTAL WATERS AS WARM FRONT. SECOND AND MUCH STRONGER COLD FRONT SWEEPS OVER TEXAS REINFORCING FIRST ONE AND STRENGTHENING AND SPREADING RETURN FLOW TO W OF 88W. SECOND FRONT ENTERS GULF WATERS TUE WITH STRONG TO NEAR GALE FRONT WITHIN 180 NM E OF BOUNDARY SHIFTING NW BEHIND FRONT. FRONT EXITS SE GULF WED NIGHT LEAVING IN ITS WAKE FRESH TO STRONG NE FLOW THU. HIGH PRES CENTER WELL N OF AREA BRINGS GENTLE TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW ACROSS ENTIRE GULF LATE THU THROUGH LATE FRI. VERY WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACH NW CORNER OF BASIN SAT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... COLD FRONT FROM 23N65W TO N HISPANIOLA WEAKEN AND DISSIPATE S OF 22N TONIGHT. STRONG NE WINDS DIMINISH TO A MODERATE BREEZE TONIGHT AS HIGH PRES CENTER 1025 MB ALONG 30N DRIFTS W. LINGERING BUT SUBSIDING N-NE 8-11 FT SWELL REMAIN S OF 25N AS HIGH PRES STALLS NEAR 30N66W TUE NIGHT ALLOWING WINDS AND SEAS TO MODERATE MOMENTARILY BEFORE THE NEXT COLD FRONT ATTACK. APPROACHING COLD FRONT INCREASES S-SW WINDS N OF 27N W OF 73W WED TO NEAR GALE FORCE AND BUILD SEAS TO 10-12 FT LATE WED. FRONT ENTERS NW CORNER OF BASIN EARLY THU WITH STRONG SW FLOW WITHIN 300 NM E OF BOUNDARY SHIFTING NW BEHIND FRONT AND SEAS TO 12 FT...MAINLY N OF 28N. UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR COLD FRONT SHIFT NE RAPIDLY LEAVING FRONT TO WEAKEN AND DISSIPATE S OF 28N FRI AND SAT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... FRESH NE TRADES ACROSS MUCH OF CARIBBEAN TODAY AS CENTRAL ATLC HIGH PRES IS REPLACED BY 1023 MB ANTICYCLONE OVER SW N ATLC BEHIND COLD FRONT. LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELLS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS PARAGRAPH SEEP THROUGH ATLC PASSAGES...ANEGADA...MONA AND WINDWARD...ALLOWING 8-9 FT SWELL INTO CARIBBEAN AS FAR S AS VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIAN COASTS TODAY THROUGH TUE. SWELL SUBSIDE WED AND SO DOES THE WIND AS NEW HIGH PRES OVER SW N ATLC RETREAT E FORCED BY INCOMING COLD FRONT. MOSTLY FRESH TRADES REMAIN IN BASIN MOSTLY W OF 70W...HIGHER ALONG COAST OF COLOMBIA WED THROUGH SAT. 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 WALLY BARNES