000 AGXX40 KNHC 270542 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 AM EDT TUE APR 27 2004 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... FRONT BISECTS THE GULF THIS MORNING WITH STRONGEST WINDS FOUND OVER EXTREME WESTERN GULF S OF 25N AND N OF THE FRONT. 0100 UTC QUIKSCAT PASS INDICATED GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. HOWEVER...CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE DATA LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE FEW 35 KT BARBS FOUND IN THE DATA ARE IN FACT RAIN CONTAMINATED DUE TO A VERY FAST MOVING TSTM COMPLEX THAT IS CURRENTLY MOVING SE AT 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. 25 KT WITH AREAS OF 25 TO 30 KT WINDS APPEAR MOST REPRESENTATIVE WITH SOME AREAS POSSESSING STRONGER WINDS THROUGH TODAY. AREA LIKELY TO SEE 25 TO 30 KT TODAY WILL LIE JUST OFF THE MEXICAN COAST IN THE REGION OF MAXIMUM FUNNELING AS THE SURFACE HIGH PRES FORCES ITS WAY SOUTHWARD. NEAR TERM GFS FORECAST INDICATES BAND OF 25 TO 30 KT WILL LIE JUST NW OF THE FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL GULF INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY TODAY. STRONGEST CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH S THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT LEFT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO WED IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE FRONT. BY WED AFTERNOON THE FRONT WILL HAVE PUSHED E OF THE AREA AND THE TRAILING RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO IMPART AND E TO SE FLOW OF 15 TO 20 KT OFFSHORE DECREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE NW GULF NEAR SHORE. GULF OUTLOOK CONTINUES TO FIND FAIRLY STRONG RIDGE TO THE NE WITH CONTINUED E TO SE WINDS DOMINATING MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THU. RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN IN THE GULF WHILE SHIFTING E IN ADVANCE OF NEXT FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE NW GULF ON SAT. SW N ATLC... THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE ATLC RIDGE WILL REMAIN STATIONARY THROUGH TODAY WITH WINDS LIKELY ONLY REACHING UP TO 20 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. FRONT STILL EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS LATER TODAY...BUT WINDS ON THE NW SIDE OF THE FRONT SHOULD ONLY REACH 20 KT IN N TO NE WIND BEFORE TRAILING HIGH SHIFTS E TO LOCATION N OF THE AREA AND WINDS VEER TO ELY AT 15 TO 20 KT BY WED EVENING. MUCH OF THE SAME FOR THE OUTLOOK AS THE RIDGE BECOMES ANCHORED ALONG 31N67W TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST. EXPECT LIGHT E TO SE WINDS OF 15 KT OVER MUCH OF THE AREA N OF 26N E OF 75W WHILE MODERATE E WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KT WILL DEVELOP S OF 26N AND MODERATE S WINDS UP TO 20 KT WILL DEVELOP ELSEWHERE N OF 26N AHEAD OF APPROACHING COLD FRONT ON SAT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... VERY LITTLE TO DISCUSS IN THIS AREA. APPROACHING FRONT IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA WILL HELP TO RELAX TRADE WIND FLOW TODAY AND WED. THU AND FRI WILL SEE RIDGE...ONCE AGAIN BUILDING...N OF THE AREA. THE BUILDING RIDGE WILL AGAIN IMPART MODERATE ELY TRADES ACROSS MUCH OF THIS AREA THAT WILL HELP BUILD SEAS AS HIGH AS 11 FT IN THE SW CARIBBEAN SEA SAT AND AS HIGH AS 10 FT IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC AT THE SAME TIME. $$ WARNINGS...NONE. FORECASTER HOLWEG