000 AGXX40 KNHC 220600 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 AM EST WED NOV 22 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STRONG HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER E/CENTRAL MEXICO WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING NE INTO THE LOWER MS VALLEY CONTINUES TO PRODUCE STEADY NLY WINDS MAINLY OVER THE E AND MIDDLE GULF ZONES WITH 13 FT SWELLS JUST N OF THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. WINDS AT THE OFFSHORE BUOYS ARE COMING DOWN NOW AND ARE GENERALLY IN THE 20 KT RANGE...WHILE A 0028 UTC QUIKSCAT PASS STILL INDICATED 25-30 KT JUST N OF THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW 20 KT BY LATE TONIGHT AS THE COASTAL LOW OFF THE CAROLINAS LIFTS NE...AND SEAS SHOULD QUICKLY FOLLOW BY DROPPING BELOW 8 FT. W GULF RIDGE DOMINATES THE PATTERN THU THROUGH SUN ALTHOUGH THE PRES GRADIENT WILL LIKELY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE 20 KT OVER THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BEGINNING LATE THU WHEN THE WINDS VEER NE. SEAS WITHIN THE STRAITS WOULD BUILD TO 9 FT WITH THE WINDS ORIENTED AGAINST THE GULF STREAM. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO ERN PANAMA WITH STRONG NLY FLOW OCCURRING TO ITS W OVER THE W CARIBBEAN. THE GALE CONDITIONS APPEAR TO BE COMING TO AN END BASED ON OBSERVATIONS AND MODEL GUIDANCE...SO THE WARNING WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE BY SUNRISE. STILL...WINDS ARE SUSTAINED IN THE 20-30 KT RANGE ESPECIALLY OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN AND SHOULD SLOWLY BEGIN TO DECREASE BY THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL NOT FULLY DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT UNTIL SAT...ALTHOUGH THEY WILL INCREASE AGAIN TO 20 KT N OF 18N ON SAT AS THE PRES GRADIENT INCREASES TO THE N. MODERATE TRADES CONTINUE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC BUT ALSO SHOULD WEAKEN A BIT LATE THU THROUGH SUN. SW N ATLC... STRONG LOW PRES IS CURRENTLY CENTERED JUST OFFSHORE MYRTLE BEACH SC WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N71W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. STRONG COLD ADVECTION ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW CONTINUES TO PRODUCE WINDS TO 25 KT OFF THE E FLORIDA COAST WITH HIGHER GUSTS DUE TO LOW-LEVEL INSTABILITY. SLY WINDS ALSO REMAIN IN THE 20-25 KT RANGE AHEAD OF THE FRONT BUT SHOULD WEAKEN QUICKLY THROUGH THE DAY. THE LOW BEGINS TO LIFT NE BY TONIGHT WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS BY THU. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN CAMPED OUT FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE NE TO BERMUDA THROUGH AT LEAST SAT...AND THE GRADIENT TO ITS W WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE NELY WINDS TO 20 KT. NE SWELLS WILL DEVELOP ON SAT AND SUN WITH SEAS IN THE 7-9 FT RANGE WITH PERIODS OF 8-9 SEC. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER BERG