000 AGXX40 KNHC 241726 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 PM EDT MON APR 24 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... LONGWAVE TROUGH IS OVER THE ATLANTIC AREA AND A LONGWAVE RIDGE IS OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST PASSING EAST OF THURSDAY. THE TROUGH WILL NOT GO FAR AS THE MODEL STALLS THE TROUGH JUST EAST OF THE AREA. THE RIDGE WILL EXPAND EASTWARD AND WEAKEN WITH BROAD NEARLY ZONAL FLOW OVER MOST OF THE AREA WEDNESDAY. A LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP SOUTHWARD OVER THE AREA BEGINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT. BY THURSDAY THE LONGWAVE TROUGH WILL BE CENTERED OVER FLORIDA WITH A RIDGE EAST OF 67W AND WEST OF 90W. THE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN AND MOVE EAST AND BY MIDDAY FRIDAY IT WILL COVER MOST OF THE ATLANTIC AREA WITH A RIDGE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WEST OF 85W. A SHORTWAVE WILL SHARPEN THE TROUGH SATURDAY WITH A RATHER STRONG TROUGH OVER THE ATLANTIC AREA AND A MODERATE RIDGE OVER THE AREA FROM FLORIDA WEST. SURFACE... MAJOR FEATURE IS A RIDGE ALONG 26N. A LOW PASSING EASTWARD NORTH OF THE AREA WILL INCREASE THE SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS OVER THE NORTH PART OF THE ATLANTIC AREA BEGINNING TUESDAY AND ANOTHER ON THURSDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND MOVE TO THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE MEXICAN COAST NEAR 22N LATE WEDNESDAY THEN MOVE EAST OF THE GULF LATE THURSDAY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND WEAKEN AS IT MOVES OVER THE ATLANTIC WATERS REACHING 31N74W TO WEST CUBA LATE THURSDAY. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY DRIFT EAST AND THE ABOVE MENTIONED SHORTWAVE WILL CAUSE THE FRONTAL TROUGH TO DEEPEN STRENGTHENING THE WINDS TO THE WEST OF THE FRONT FRIDAY AND EAST OF THE TROUGH SATURDAY. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 31N65W TO 25N65W LATE SATURDAY. AS THE RIDGE BEHIND THE FRONT BUILDS OVER THE NORTH AND EAST GULF OF MEXICO RETURN SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BEGIN OVER THE WEST GULF FRIDAY. TRADES IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC AND CARIBBEAN ARE LESS THAN NORMAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THESE WINDS WILL ALSO DIMINISH TO LESS THAN NORMAL DURING TUESDAY AND REMAIN THAT WAY THROUGH SATURDAY. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL