000 AGXX40 KNHC 041820 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 120 PM EST SAT NOV 4 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. SW N ATLC... STRONG COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO SAG SE ACROSS THE W ATLC WATERS AND EXTENDS FROM 31N61W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND CENTRAL CUBA. A STRONG 1037 MB HIGH IS CENTERED BEHIND THE FRONT OVER CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND IS CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT PRES GRADIENT OVER THE W ATLC WATERS. AN 1100 UTC HIGH-RESOLUTION QUIKSCAT PASS INDICATED WINDS JUST BELOW GALE FORCE...BETWEEN 30-34 KT IN A BELT FROM THE SE FLORIDA COAST ACROSS THE N BAHAMAS THEN TO BERMUDA. WAVE OBSERVATIONS ARE SCARCE DUE TO A LACK OF BUOYS E OF THE BAHAMAS...BUT IT IS LIKELY SEAS HAVE BUILT TO 12 FT NE OF THE ISLANDS. THE FRONT MOVES A LITTLE FARTHER SE THROUGH MON THEN DISSIPATES TUE...AND THE STRONG WINDS WILL REMAIN HIGH UNTIL QUICKLY RELAXING ON WED AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE SELY. A RIDGE AXIS BUILDS OVER THE N PART OF THE AREA ON WED AND THU AND ALLOWS SEAS TO CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE UNDER A WEAK WIND REGIME. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... THE TAIL END OF THE W ATLC FRONT MOVED INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN YESTERDAY BUT THERE IS NO LONGER A WELL-DEFINED BOUNDARY. THERE IS HOWEVER A SHARP WIND BOUNDARY WITH STRONGER 20-25 KT WINDS EXTENDING FROM THE CAYMAN ISLANDS TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. WINDS ARE ALSO INCREASING OVER THE S/CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT AND INCREASES THE PRES GRADIENT. THESE CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH MON NIGHT THEN DIMINISH TUE THROUGH THU AS THE HIGH WEAKENS. WINDS REMAIN CONSTANT OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE TONIGHT THROUGH THU ALTHOUGH SEAS WILL BUILD TO 9 FT OVER THE N PART LATE MON THROUGH WED AS SWELL MOVES IN FROM THE N. GULF OF MEXICO... STRONG WINDS BEHIND THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT ALSO COVER THE E HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE 1100 UTC QUIKSCAT PASS SHOWED A LOCAL MAXIMUM OF 32 KT NEAR BUOY 42003 (WHICH HAD A MAXIMUM 10-MIN WIND OF 29 KT AND A GUST TO 35 KT NEAR THAT TIME). SEAS HAVE BUILT ACCORDING TO 10 FT AT THE BUOY BUT SHOULD NOT GO MUCH HIGHER GIVEN THE LIMITED FETCH. THE LARGE COVERAGE OF STRONG WINDS OVER THE E GULF WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE SUN...THEN BE CONFINED TO THE SE GULF MON. A WEAK WIND REGIME QUICKLY SETS IN TUE THROUGH THU. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE MON BUT WILL QUICKLY WEAKEN INTO A TROUGH AND STALL OVER THE CENTRAL GULF BY LATE TUE. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER BERG