000 AGXX40 KNHC 070603 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 AM EST MON JAN 7 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. FAIRLY ENERGETIC SHORTWAVE TROUGH ALONG 70W MOVING SE TONIGHT. MID LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING OVER GULF NWD ALONG 80W. MID LEVEL FLOW BECOMING SWLY W OF 90W AS STRONG TROUGH MOVES INTO ROCKIES. ON THE SURFACE TONIGHT OLD RIDGE OF HIGH PRES OVER SW ATLC MAINTAINING MODERATE NE AND E WINDS OVER MUCH OF REGION TONIGHT. RETURN FLOW W OF 90W TO 20 KT AS PRES FALLS OVER PLAINS. CARIB WINDS MOSTLY 20 TO 25 KT. LATER DAY 1 MID LEVEL RIDGE MOVES TO EASTERN SEABOARD AS STRONG SWLY FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES OVER CENTRAL CONUS. SHORTWAVE MOVES SE TO 65W INTO BROAD TROUGH OVER MID ATLC. ON THE SURFACE LATER DAY 1 WEAK TROUGH SETS UP ALONG 68W OTHERWISE LITTLE CHANGE TO ATLC RIDGE AND WINDS. FOR DAY 2 MID LEVEL RIDGE BECOMES MORE NE/SW OFF SE COAST ALLOWING SHORTWAVE OVER SW ATLC TO CLOSE OFF NEAR 25N58W. SHORTWAVE IN NRN BRANCH DROPS INTO CENTRAL PLAINS LOWERING MID LEVEL HEIGHTS OVER NW GULF. ON THE SURFACE DAY 2 COLD FRONT MOVES TO E CENTRAL TX WHILE RETURN FLOW WEAKENS SLIGHTLY. ATLC AREA DOMINATED BY OLD RIDGE THAT MAINTAINS MODERATE NE AND E WINDS OVER MUCH OF AREA. OUTLOOK PERIOD... FOR DAY 3 SHORTWAVE OVER PLAINS MOVES RAPIDLY NE TO NEW ENGLAND AREA WHILE STRONG SWLY FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES OVER SRN CONUS. CLOSED OFF LOW CENTER ALOFT DRIFTS EWD TO 25N55W. ON THE SURFACE DAY 3 TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER ATLC WATERS ALONG 55W TIGHTENING GRADIENT N OF 28N BETWEEN 50W AND 60W WITH WINDS TO 25 KT. ELSEWHERE WINDS DIMINISH AS GRADIENT WEAKENS. FRONT OVER TX MOVES TO NW GULF COAST AND FIZZLES WITH NO SUPPORT ALOFT. FOR DAY 4 NEXT IN A SERIES OF STRONG SHORTWAVES MOVES INTO MO VALLEY AGAIN TIGHTENING THE MID LEVEL GRADIENT OVER THE NW GULF. OLD CLOSED LOW ALOFT DRIFTING TO NEAR 26N53W CUTOFF FROM WESTERLIES. MID LEVEL RIDGE HOLDS FIRM FROM NW CARIB NE TO 33N65W. ON THE SURFACE DAY 4 WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES TO TX GULF COAST WITH WINDS TO 20 KT. TROUGH OVER ATLC FORECAST TO BECOME WEAK LOW CENTER NEAR 26N57W BUT WINDS DIMINISH AS RIDGE WEAKENS TO N OF LOW. CARIB WINDS LIGHT TO MODERATE AS WELL AS GULF E OF 90W. FOR DAY 5 STRONG SHORTWAVE OVER MO VALLEY MOVES NE TO NEW ENGLAND AREA WITH MID LEVEL FLOW BECOMING MORE WLY W OF 90W. MID LEVEL RIDGE OVER NW CARIB FLATTENS OUT AS MID LEVEL HEIGHTS CONTINUE TO FALL SLOWLY OVER NRN GULF. OLD CLOSED LOW OVER ATLC NEARLY STATIONARY NEAR 25N54W. ON THE SURFACE DAY 5 GULF COLD FRONT MOVES TO NE GULF BUT WINDS REMAIN LIGHT WITH WEAK AIRMASS FOLLOWING FRONT. WEAK LOW CENTER OVER ATLC DISSIPATING NEAR 25N59W WITH MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS. CARIB WINDS MOSTLY ELY 10 TO 15 KT. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... GALE WARNING... GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER RRG