000 AGXX40 KNHC 180601 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 101 AM EST SAT MAR 18 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. ATLANTIC... A WEAK FRONT IS MOVING INTO THE SW N ATLC ZONE FROM THE N BUT THE STRUCTURE IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO ASSESS. CLOUD BAND EXTENDING FROM 31N71W TO NORTHERN BAHAMAS APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WHILE MAIN FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS ROUGHLY ALONG 31N...W OF 72W. BUOY OBS EVEN INDICATE THAT A WEAK LOW IS LIKELY LOCATED JUST OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA/GEORGIA COAST...FURTHER KEEPING THE FRONT SLIGHTLY BUCKLED TO THE N. AT ANY RATE...STRONGEST WINDS ARE CURRENTLY LOCATED AHEAD OF THE TROUGH WITH SWLY 20-25 KT WINDS N OF 29N. SEAS ARE RUNNING TO 8 FT ALONG 31N IN THE AREA OF STRONGEST WINDS...BUT THEY QUICKLY FALL OFF TO AROUND 2 FT NEAR THE FLORIDA COAST. FRONT WILL SAG SLOWLY S WITH THE LOW POSITIONED E OF THE NRN BAHAMAS TOMORROW NIGHT. STRONGEST WINDS AND BIGGEST SWELLS WILL STAY N OF 27N AND E OF 70W AS THE MAIN ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM MOVES RAPIDLY E SAT. RIDGE BUILDS OVER AREA SUN AND MON WITH INCREASINGLY SLY FLOW OFF THE FLORIDA E COAST LATE MON AHEAD OF NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM. MAIN FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE SE U.S. COAST TUE AFTERNOON AND SPREAD SE TO A LINE FROM 31N65W TO S FLORIDA WED AFTERNOON. WINDS INCREASE TO 20-30 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 12/13 FT...THEN SHIFT NW 20-25 KT AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. CARIBBEAN... LITTLE CHANGES SEEN IN TRADES ACROSS SRN CARIBBEAN. AREA OF 20-25 KT REMAINS LIMITED TO SMALL AREA FROM 10N TO 14N BETWEEN 72W AND 79W WITH LOCALLY TO 30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THERE MAY BE SOME FLUCTUATIONS OF THE WINDS NEAR THE COAST DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD DUE TO CHANGES OF LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA...BUT OVERALL PATTERN APPEARS TO BE ABLE TO REMAIN INTACT. GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REST OF THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH SUN NIGHT...THEN SELY FLOW INCREASES OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN IN RESPONSE TO A DEVELOPING SYSTEM OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. WINDS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20 KT MAINLY W OF 84W MON AND TUE...THEN RELAX ON WED AS THE FRONTAL SYSTEM WEAKENS. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER THE MIDDLE GULF NEAR 27N88W IS KEEPING A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE COAST OF LOUISIANA...THEN INLAND OVER SE TEXAS. FRONT SAGS S OVER THE MIDDLE/E GULF DURING THE NEXT 24 HRS BUT REMAINS DIFFUSE. E/SE FLOW INCREASES TODAY OVER THE W GULF...UP TO 20 KT OVER A BROAD AREA W OF 90W BY THIS TIME TOMORROW NIGHT. SEAS BUILD TO 6-8 FT BY SUN NIGHT WHEN WINDS ALSO INCREASE SLIGHTLY TO 20-25 KT IN SLY FLOW. NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST MON MORNING THEN EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO TAMPICO MEXICO TUE...THEN WEAKENS FROM S FLORIDA TO VERACRUZ ON WED. WINDS AND SEAS (UP TO 10 FT) REMAIN HIGHEST E OF THE FRONT BUT DIE OFF TO 15-20 KT W OF THE FRONT THROUGH TUE. POST-FRONTAL WINDS WILL THEN INCREASE AGAIN TO 20-25 KT IN NELY FLOW ON WED AS RIDGING BUILDS IN FROM THE N. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER BERG