000 AGXX40 KNHC 311919 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 PM EST THU JAN 31 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... COLD FRONT HAS EMERGED OFF THE TEXAS COAST AND EXTENDS FROM NEAR THE SABINE RIVER SSWWD TO JUST N OF TAMPICO MEXICO. CMANS ALONG THE TEXAS COAST REPORTING NW WINDS OF 25 KT. IMPRESSIVE SQUALL LINE ACCOMPANIES THE FRONT AS INDICATED BY LIGHTNING DATA AND WSR-88D REFLECTIVITY. COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP RAPIDLY SEWD AND EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY FRI THEN BECOME DIFFUSE FROM FT MYERS FLORIDA TO BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY SAT AND DISSIPATE LATE SAT. NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT REACH 20-30 KT TONIGHT THEN DROP OFF QUICKLY DURING THE DAY FRI. HIGH PRESS MOVES QUICKLY EWD SUN WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE GULF W OF 90W. THIS FLOW SPREADS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF MON WITH WINDS PICKING UP TO 20-25 KT W OF 90W. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY TUE AND EXTENDS FROM THE LOUISIANA COAST TO 21N97W BY LATE FRI. THIS FRONT ALSO USHERS IN STRONG NW-N WINDS BUT LIKE THE CURRENT FRONT WINDS DO NOT REACH GALE FORCE. SW N ATLC... INVERTED SFC TROUGH E OF THE AREA MOVES WWD BUT WEAKENS AS IT APPROACHES THE FAR E END OF THE ZONE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRI. N TO NE WINDS OF 20 KT AHEAD OF THE TROUGH WEAKEN AS THE TROUGH COLLAPSES. IN THE MEANTIME WARM FRONT OVER THE FAR NW PORTION OF THE ZONE WILL LIFT N OF THE AREA THIS EVENING. APPROACHING FRONT FROM THE SE CONUS ALLOWS SE TO S WINDS TO INCREASE TO 20 KT TONIGHT AND 20-25 KT FRI. FRONT MOVES OFF THE GEORGIA COAST LATE FRI BUT MAKES LITTLE HEADWAY AS IT STALLS FROM 31N75W 28N81W BY SAT. WINDS SHIFT TO THE NW BEHIND THE FRONT BUT ONLY REACH 15 KT. BY SUN THE FRONT DISSIPATES IN THE FACE OF WWD BUILDING ATLC RIDGE WHICH ALSO BRINGS IN ELY WINDS OF 20 KT OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA. RIDGE IS IN FIRM CONTROL OF THE AREA MON AND TUE WITH E TO SE WINDS OF 10-15 KT OVER MOST OF THE AREA. WINDS PICK UP TO 20 KT OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA BY LATE TUE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... MAIN FEATURE OF NOTE IS THE LARGE INVERTED TROUGH WHICH CUTS ACROSS THE N ATLC ZONE FROM 17N55W NWWD THROUGH 22N58W. NLY WINDS OF 15 TO LOCALLY 20 KT ARE OCCURRING W OF THE TROUGH OVER MOST OF THE AREA. N TO NE WINDS COVER A GOOD PORTION OF THE CARIBBEAN E OF 80W WITH E TO SE WINDS NOTED W OF 80W. AS NOTED ABOVE TROUGH COLLAPSES ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLC ZONE BY EARLY FRI AND USHERS IN ELY TRADES OF 20-25 KT IN ITS WAKE ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC N OF 17N FROM FRI THROUGH SUN. THESE TRADES SPREAD WWD ACROSS THE N CARIBBEAN SUN AND INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN MON AND TUE. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER COBB