000 AGXX40 KNHC 251859 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST MON FEB 25 2013 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... SLY RETURN FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS MOST THE GULF WATERS THIS AFTERNOON S OF A WARM FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN FLORIDA TO SE LOUISIANA AND AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT HAS JUST ENTERED THE NW PRION OF THE GULF STRETCHING FROM NEAR GALVESTON TEXAS TO NE MEXICO AT 1800 UTC. THE WARM FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE N OF AREA TONIGHT. THE STRONG COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM SE LOUISIANA TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH WATERS N OF 26N AND W OF THE FRONT BEGINNING THIS EVENING AND ENDING TUE MORNING. HOWEVER...GUSTY WINDS TO NEAR GALE FORCE CAN BE EXPECTED W OF THE FRONT AS IT SWEEPS SE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO NEAR 13 FT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT ACROSS THE N WATERS TONIGHT. THE FRONT THEN WILL REACH A POSITION FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE MORNING...THEN SLOW AS IT MOVES THROUGH THE SE WATERS AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL ON WED JUST AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST AND RACES SE OF THE AREA THU. EXPECT INCREASING NLY WINDS OF 20-25 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 8 FT BEHIND THE REINFORCING COLD FRONT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... THE MOST RECENT WINDSAT PASS ALONG WITH THE 1502 UTC HIGH RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 20 TO 25 KT ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THE FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS COVER THE AREA FROM 11N TO 16N BETWEEN 70W AND 77W. HIGH PRES N OF THE BASIN WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ACROSS CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH WED WHILE MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY TRADES WILL PERSIST ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS ARE ALSO NOTED PER THE SAME HI RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN MAINLY W OF 84W...INCLUDING THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THESE WINDS ARE BLOWING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO THE REST OF TODAY AND TUE. THE WEAKENING PORTION OF THE FRONT SHOULD REACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY WED. LARGE LONG-PERIOD NE SWELLS ARE AFFECTING THE NORTHERN PART OF TROPICAL N ATLC AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE SOUTH JUST E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES TONIGHT AND TUE...RAISING SEAS TO 9-10 FT. THIS SWELL EVENT WILL ALSO IMPACT THE NE CARIBBEAN AND THE ATLC PASSAGES THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE FORECAST REGION NEAR 28N65W AND EXTENDS WESTWARD TO 28N74W WHERE IT BECOMES STATIONARY CONTINUING TO 29N80W. THIS FRONT WILL LIFT BACK N AS A WARM FRONT TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF A SECOND COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST TUE NIGHT. LIGHT TO MODERATE N TO NE WINDS ARE NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA N OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WITH MAINLY LIGHT WINDS S OF THE FRONT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A RIDGE EXTENDING WWD ALONG 25N. HIGHEST SEAS IN THE 6 TO 9 FT RANGE CAN BE FOUND ACROSS ZONE AMZ115 AS NW SWELL GENERATED BY STRONG EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE LOCATED OVER THE NORTH-CENTRAL ATLC REACHES THE NE PORTION OF THE AREA. EXPECT INCREASING SE TO S WINDS OVER THE NW PART TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE INTO REGION TUE NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N75W TO S FLORIDA WED MORNING WITH WINDS BRIEFLY INCREASING TO 20-25 KT ACROSS THE N WATERS...PARTICULARLY N OF 29N. THEN THE FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM 31N68W TO NW BAHAMAS AND WESTERN CUBA THU MORNING AND WILL STALL OVER THE SE WATERS ON FRI. ONCE AGAIN... WLY WINDS OF 20-25 KT WILL AFFECT THE N WATERS BEGINNING EARLY FRI ASSOCIATED WITH THE CIRCULATION OF A STRONG LOW PRES SYSTEM OVER THE WESTERN ATLC. EXPECT SEAS OF 8-11 FT GENERATED BY THESE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE WARNING...GMZ011 AND GMZ013. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR