000 AGXX40 KNHC 251735 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1235 PM EST THU JAN 25 2007 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... LARGE RIDGE SOUTH OF 22N WILL WEAKEN AND BE SOUTH OF 20N SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SEVERAL SHORTWAVES WILL PASS WEST TO EAST NORTH OF THE AREA WITH NONE EXTENDING SIGNIFICANTLY INTO THE FORECAST AREA. SURFACE... FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE GULF WILL PUSH SOUTHEAST OF THE GULF LATE TODAY OR EARLY TONIGHT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG FRONTAL TROUGH IN THE ATLANTIC. GALE IN THE GULF WILL END TONIGHT. GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE ATLANTIC WILL BE AHEAD OF THE FRONT TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND BEHIND IN THE FRONT TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. ATLANTIC GALE IS MAINLY DUE TO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH NOT WITH A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE. BECAUSE OF THIS THE FRONT WILL NOT MOVE VERY FAR SOUTH WITH ITS IMPACT IN THE CARIBBEAN CONFINED TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND THE AREA NORTH OF 20N. BY FRIDAY NIGHT THE WINDS IN THE GULF WILL BE MOSTLY LESS THAN 20 KT WITH THE ATLANTIC WINDS ALSO DECREASING AND MOVING EAST. LOW DEVELOPS IN THE NORTH GULF SATURDAY AND MOVES EAST ACROSS NORTH FLORIDA EARLY SUNDAY AND BECOMES ABSORBED IN A FRONTAL TROUGH SUNDAY. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS WILL BE NEAR THE LOW IN THE EAST GULF AND GALES WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW IN THE ATLANTIC. GALE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE NORTH OF 26N AND ALSO THE WINDS OF 20 KNOTS OR MORE SHOULD BE CONFINED TO NORTH OF 24N. BROAD TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE ATLANTIC AREA NORTH OF 23N MONDAY WITH WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT E OF TROUGH AND 20 TO 30 KT W OF TROUGH BECAUSE THE TROUGH WILL BE REINFORCED BY A LOW DEVELOPING SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. MONDAY WILL EXTEND OVER THE WEST PART OF THE ATLANTIC TUESDAY WITH THE TROUGH MOVING EAST OF 65W LATE TUESDAY. TROPICAL ATLANTIC TRADES WILL BE LESS THAN NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. CARIBBEAN WILL HAVE STRONG WINDS IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL PART WITH LESS THAN NORMAL TRADES ELSEWHERE. ON TUESDAY RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE WEST ATLANTIC WILL INCREASE THE EASTERLY FLOW IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE CARIBBEAN. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... GALE WARNING...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING...GMZ082. FORECASTER LL