000 AGXX40 KNHC 170651 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 149 AM EST MON DEC 17 2007 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... LATEST SFC OBSERVATIONS FROM THE GULF INDICATE WINDS HAVE COME DOWN MARKEDLY DURING THE EVENING WITH BUOYS AND THE MOST RECENT SCATTEREMOTER PASS OVER THE GULF...A 0324 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWING 20+ KT WINDS CONFINED TO THE GULF E OF 90W AND THE FAR SRN BAY OF CAMPECHE. STILL AWAITING THE 0000 UTC QUIKSCAT PASS WITH CROSSED FINGERS. E GULF BUOY 42003 HAS BEEN REPORTING AN UNCHANGED WIND WAVE HGT OF 5 FT OVER THE PAST 4-6 HRS OR SO WHICH MAY BE SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS. IN ANY EVENT WINDS WILL REMAIN AOA 20 KT OVER THE ERN THIRD OF THE GULF THROUGH TODAY BEFORE VEERING TO THE E AND DIMINISHING TONIGHT AS WEAK RETURN FLOW SETS OVER THE GULF W OF 90W. THIS RETURN FLOW INCREASES TO 20 KT LATE WED AHEAD OF ANOTHER BUT WEAKER COLD FRONT SLATED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST THU AND STALL ALONG THE GULF COAST LATE THU AS LOW PRESS SKIRTS BY TO THE N. SLY RETURN FLOW SETS UP AGAIN ON FRI. SW N ATLANTIC... LATEST SFC ANALYSIS PLACES COLD FRONT ALONG 31N70W TO 22N79W STILL MOVING EWD 15-20 KT. BUOY REPORTS AND A 0144 UTC ASCAT PASS INDICATE THAT THE GALE FORCE WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT HAVE MOVED N OF THE AREA WITH SW WINDS OF 25-30 KT LINGERING OVER AREAS N OF 29-30N. NW WINDS OF 20-25 KT CONTINUE BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SEAS UP TO 12 FT ALONG THE NRN FRINGE OF THE AREA. WINDS SHOULD COME DOWN FAIRLY QUICKLY BEHIND THE FRONT N OF 27N BY TONIGHT...BUT VEER TO THE NE AND REMAIN 20 KT OR SO S OF 27N INTO TUE AND TUE NIGHT. LIGHT ELY FLOW OF 10-15 KT SETS UP WED AND VEERS TO THE S AND SE OVER NW PORTIONS OF THE AREA THU. AS LOW PRESS MOVES OFF THE SE U.S. COAST AND SKIRTS N OF THE AREA THU NIGHT AND FRI SW TO W WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE NW LATE FRI...MAINLY N OF 28N. LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED ELSEWHERE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC... COLD FRONT ALONG 22N80W 16N86W AT 0660 UTC CONTINUES MOVING EWD WITH A 0324 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWING NLY WINDS OF 20+ KT NW OF THE FRONT WITH LOCALLY HIGHER WINDS IN THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THE FRONT SHOULD STALL OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN LATER TODAY AND DISSIPATE BY EARLY TUE. IN THE MEANTIME FRESH TO MODERATE ELY TRADES OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC WILL CONTINUE UNABATED THROUGH FRI. IN THE ABSENCE OF STRONG RIDGING TO THE N OF THE WRN CARIBBEAN SUB-NORMAL ELY FLOW SETS UP WED THROUGH FRI. LARGE SWELL OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN WILL DECAY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS WELL. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER COBB