000 AGXX40 KNHC 221714 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST FRI DEC 22 2006 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM NEW ORLEANS TO THE COAST OF MEXICO NEAR 20N97W. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO 27N85W THEN STATIONARY TO 25N97W SAT. LOW PRES DEVELOPS ALONG THE FRONT IN THE NW GULF SUN. THIS COMBINED WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING OVER TEXAS WILL PRODUCE A STRONG ENOUGH GRADIENT FOR WINDS TO INCREASE TO GALE FORCE W OF THE FRONT. THE LOW WEAKENS SUN NIGHT AND THE WINDS SHOULD GO BELOW GALE FORCE AT THAT TIME. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM NW FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA MON AND E OF THE AREA TUE. HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF TUE...BUT STRONG NLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE E HALF OF THE AREA. THE HIGH MOVE E WED AND WINDS DECREASE. ATLC RIDGE FROM 31N71W TO S FLORIDA WILL MOVE EWD SAT AS THE NEXT FRONT APPROACHES THE GEORGIA COAST. THE FRONT THEN STALLS OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA SAT AND SUN. THEN AS THE GULF OF MEXICO LOW MOVES NE INTO THE SE U.S. THE FRONT MOVES N WITH STRONG SLY WINDS N OF AROUND 27N W OF 75W MON. THE FRONT MOVES OFFSHORE AND EXTENDS FROM 31N74W TO W CUBA WED...WITH VERY STRONG WINDS BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONT WEAKENS FROM 31N65W TO E CUBA WED. ATLC RIDGE IS KEEPING BRISK TRADES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND E CARIBBEAN...CONTINUING THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE YUCATAN CHANNEL LATE MON AND EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO HONDURAS TUE AFTERNOON AND FROM E CUBA TO GULF OF HONDURAS WED AFTERNOON. NLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER DGS