000 AGXX40 KNHC 181750 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT MON MAR 18 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... AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ALONG 93W IS TRIGGERING WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS IN THE EASTERN GULF. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN OVER THE WATERS TONIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED ENTER THE NORTHERN GULF EARLY TUE AND REACH FROM FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO SOUTH TEXAS TUE...STALL FROM SW FLORIDA TO THE TEXAS/MEXICO BORDER TUE NIGHT...THEN DISSIPATE WED. HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS NORTHERN WATERS THU WHILE A LOW PRES SYSTEM DEVELOPS OVER OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN TEXAS FRI. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW PRES SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO REACH THE NW GULF SAT WHILE THE WARM FRONT STRETCHES ALONG THE N GULF COAST. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL WEAKEN TONIGHT THROUGH THU AS HIGH PRES RIDGE N OF AREA SHIFTS E. FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS TONIGHT AND TUE NIGHT. N SWELLS IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND NE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES WILL DIMINISH TONIGHT AND TUE. GENTLE TO MODERATE TRADE WINDS AND BENIGN MARINE CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION WED THROUGH SAT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES RIDGE ALONG 27N CONTINUES TO SHIFT EASTWARD WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIDGE AXIS FROM 25N TO 25N...AND MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC WINDS ELSEWHERE. S TO SW WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER NW WATERS TONIGHT AND TUE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN PORTION TUE AND TUE NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N75W TO S FLORIDA TUE... THEN STALL FROM BERMUDA TO THE BAHAMAS WED. REINFORCING COLD AIR WILL SWEEP ACROSS NORTHERN WATERS AND MERGE WITH THE FRONT THU. WINDS W OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ARE EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY REACH 20 KT WED NIGHT THEN QUICKLY DIMINISH THU AHEAD OF THE NEXT SURGE OF COOLER AIR...WHICH WILL CAUSE WINDS TO SHIFT NW THROUGH FRI. ECMWF AND GFS MODELS SHOW FRESH TO STRONG SW WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT OVER NE PORTION THU. GENTLE TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION FRI AND SAT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE SOUTHEAST U.S. 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 MUNDELL