000 AGXX40 KNHC 261800 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST SAT JAN 26 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... HIGH CENTERED OVER SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO WITH RIDGE EXTENDING EAST OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. BROAD NORTHWESTERLY FLOW IS NORTH OF THE RIDGE AND COVERS THE NORTH PART OF THE GULF OF MEXICO FLORIDA AND THE ATLANTIC NORTH OF 24N. A STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OFF THE EAST UNITED STATES COAST SUNDAY AND PRODUCE A STRONG TROUGH OVER THE ATLANTIC AREA NORTH OF 20N MONDAY. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST AND PASS EAST OF 65W LATE TUESDAY AND EAST OF 55W WEDNESDAY. RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA SOUTH OF 25N IN THE WAKE OF THE TROUGH. ANOTHER STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE EAST TO OVER TEXAS THURSDAY WITH SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND A LARGE ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION CENTERED JUST EAST OF THE BAHAMAS DOMINATING THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. SURFACE... LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OFF THE COAST OF THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT IN RESPONSE TO THE FIRST STRONG SHORTWAVE AND THE LOW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AREA PASSING EAST OF PUERTO RICO MONDAY NIGHT. THE WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL PASS EAST OF BERMUDA TUESDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL APPROACH GALE FORCE NEAR 31N. STRONG TROUGH OVER TEXAS AND THE GREAT PLAINS WILL INDUCE SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IN THE WEST GULF OF MEXICO BEGINNING MONDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TUESDAY BUT NOT REACH VERY FAR SOUTH AS THE NEXT STRONG UPPER SHORTWAVE DEVELOPS LOW PRESSURE OVER TEXAS. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL AGAIN BE OVER THE WEST GULF BEGINNING LATE WEDNESDAY AND OVER THE ENTIRE GULF OF MEXICO ON THURSDAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS AND MEXICAN COAST LATE THURSDAY. GFS MODEL INDICATES GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE WEST GULF LATE THURSDAY. WILL MENTION TO 30 KNOTS IN THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. TRADES IN THE ATLANTIC WILL BE LESS THAN NORMAL...THAT IS LESS THAN 20 KT...THROUGH WEDNESDAY WITH MORE NORMAL WINDS ON THURSDAY. CARIBBEAN TRADES WILL ALSO BE LESS THAN NORMAL WITH 20 TO 25 KT CONFINED TO THE USUAL LOCATION IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. AGAIN MORE NORMAL TRADES WILL RETURN THURSDAY. THE FIRST COLD FRONT MENTIONED ABOVE WILL BRIEFLY AFFECT THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN WATERS MONDAY. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL