000 AGXX40 KNHC 141834 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT THU MAR 14 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...RECENT SCATTEROMETER AS WELL AS SHIP AND BUOY DATA INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS OVER THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO...MAINLY E OF 87W WITH FRESH WINDS OVER THE REMAINING EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF WATERS WITH SEAS IN THE 5 TO 7 FT RANGE. MODERATE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE GULF WATERS WITH SEAS IN THE 3 TO 5 FT RANGE. A 1031 MB HIGH PRESSURE CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER NORTHERN ALABMA EXTENDS A RIDGE OVER THE ENTIRE GULF WATERS. THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE SOUTH TO NEAR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST IN ABOUT 24 HOURS HELPING TO PRODUCE A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT TO SUPPORT THE FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS OVER THE E PART OF THE GULF REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. EXPECT BUILDING SEAS OF UP TO 8 FT IN ASSOCIATION WITH THESE WINDS WITH THE HIGHEST SEAS NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THEN...THE HIGH PRES WILL SHIFT E ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF FRI AND TO E OF THE GULF LATE FRI THROUGH MON WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING WESTWARD ACROSS EASTERN AND MIDDLE PORTIONS WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER MUCH OF THE GULF REGION THIS WEEKEND. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR 31N63W TO EASTERN CUBA. THE MOST RECENT WINDSAT PASS AND THE 1406 UTC ASCAT PASS BOTH PROVIDE OBSERVATIONS OF MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS W OF THE FRONT. LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A WEAK RIDGE. NORTHERLY SWELL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH SEAS IN THE 8-11 FT RANGE WITH THE HIGHEST SEAS E OF 60W. THE SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH SEAS FALLING BELOW 8 FT OVER MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA BY FRI NIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR 26N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TONIGHT...THEN WILL MOVE E OF THE AREA AND INTO THE FAR NW TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS SAT. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BEHIND THE FRONT BRINGING AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE N WATERS LATER TODAY THROUGH FRI NIGHT. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT IS CLIPPING THE NW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA AND WILL MOVE MAINLY E ACROSS THE N WATERS THROUGH FRI NIGHT...HELPING ALSO TO INCREASE THE WINDS ACROSS THE N WATERS. SHIP CALL SIGN JVHG LOCATED NEAR 30N77W AND BEHIND THE REINFORCING FRONT IS REPORTING 20 KT NW WINDS AND SEAS TO 9 FT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM EASTERN CUBA TO NORTHERN HONDURAS NEAR 15N87W. THE 1548 UTC HIGH RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS SHOWED FRESH TO STRONG WINDS W OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS ARE ALSO FOUND OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WATERS PER SCATTEROMETER DATA...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OF 25- 30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. GENTLE TO MODERATE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. SEAS ARE 8-10 FT OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...6 TO 8 FT OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS...AND 4-7 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO THE BORDER OF HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA BY THIS EVENING WHERE IT WILL STALL AND WEAKEN TO A SHEAR LINE FRI BEFORE DISSIPATING SAT. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 8 FT ACROSS THE WINDWARD PASSAGE BY FRI AS HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE SW N ATLC AND THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN. LARGE LONG PERIOD N TO NE SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THE NE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES THROUGH THIS EVENING THEN SUBSIDE FRI AND SAT. THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CURRENT WESTERN ATLC COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE TO THE FAR NW PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC SAT...THEN CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE NORTHERN TROPICAL N ATLC THIS WEEKEND. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR