000
AGXX40 KNHC 301757
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION   
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 
100 PM EST THU MAR 30 2006

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W.

SW AND TROPICAL ATLC...
A WEAK COLD FRONT HAS DROPPED INTO THE AREA FROM 30N65W TO NE 
FLORIDA BUT AS EXPECTED HAS ONLY SHIFTED WINDS TO NLY WITHOUT A 
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SPEEDS. THE STRONGEST GRADIENT REMAINS S 
OF 25N FROM PUERTO RICO TO THE BAHAMAS WHERE NE/E WINDS HAVE 
INCREASED TO 20 KT AND ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 20-25 KT BY 
FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN FROM THE N. WAVE HEIGHT ESTIMATES 
FROM SHIPS ARE RANGING IN THE 9-11 FT RANGE FROM PUERTO RICO TO 
THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS...A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NWW3 
GUIDANCE...WHICH MAY INDICATE THAT NELY SWELL IS CURRENTLY A 
LITTLE HIGHER THAN EXPECTED. RIDGE WEAKENS SLIGHTLY SAT THROUGH 
TUE AS WINDS N OF 28N BECOME SWLY...AND WINDS S OF THE RIDGE 
AXIS DECREASE TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS ALSO SUBSIDE TO 4-6 FT BY 
TUE. FARTHER S...N PART OF TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS ALSO BEING 
AFFECTED BY LARGE NLY SWELLS...ROUGHLY 8-9 FT BUT EXPECTED TO 
COME DOWN A BIT OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. TROUGH FROM MONA PASSAGE 
TO 22N60W WILL SHIFT E OVER AREA THROUGH EARLY SAT WITH SWATH OF 
NE 20 KT WINDS DEVELOPING N OF 19N. WINDS DECREASE ON SUN TO 
10-15 KT AND COME IN LINE WITH CURRENT STATUS OF WINDS FARTHER 
S. WINDS STAY GENERALLY LIGHT THROUGH TUE WITH SEAS IN THE 6-7 
FT RANGE.

CARIBBEAN...
HIGH PRES OVER W ATLC HAS INCREASED TRADES ACROSS THE ENTIRE 
CARIBBEAN. HIGH RESOLUTION GRIDDED QUIKSCAT IMAGERY INDICATED A 
WIND MAXIMUM TO 34 KT OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AT 1038Z...SO 
CURRENT FORECAST OF WINDS T0 30 KT LOOKS GOOD WITHOUT HAVING TO 
ISSUE A GALE WARNING FOR SUCH A SMALL AREA. WINDS HAVE ALSO 
INCREASED TO 20-25 KT THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND OFF THE S 
COAST OF CUBA...AND SHOULD BE MAINTAINED THROUGH SAT. GRADIENT 
BEGINS TO RELAX ON SAT WITH STRONGEST WINDS TO BE LOCATED OVER 
THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN N OF COLOMBIA THROUGH TUE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
PATTERN OVER GULF WILL CHANGE LITTLE THROUGH TUE. RIDGE AXIS 
ALONG/NEAR N GULF COAST WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH THE FORECAST 
PERIOD...EXCEPT PERHAPS DRIFT S A DEGREE OR TWO. E/SE WINDS TO 
20 KT CURRENTLY EXIST ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE OVER THE W 
GULF AND THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. NWW3 BUILDS SEAS TO 7 
FT OVER STRAITS TONIGHT BUT WOULD EXPECT AT LEAST 8 OR 9 FT FOR 
TONIGHT AND FRI AS WINDS BUCK AGAINST THE CURRENT. GRADIENT 
WEAKENS BEGINNING SAT AS RIDGE SAGS JUST A LITTLE TO THE S AND 
E...AND WINDS BECOME E/SE 10-15 KT.

WARNINGS...
ATLANTIC...
NONE.

CARIBBEAN...
NONE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
NONE.

FORECASTER BERG