000
AGXX40 KNHC 131715
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
100 PM EST WED FEB 13 2008
 
MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W.

GULF OF MEXICO...A VIGOROUS UPPER TROUGH SWEEPING ACROSS THE REGION 
IS QUICKLY PUSHING A COLD FRONT INTO THE EASTERN GULF. NUMEROUS 
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS...MAINLY S OF 26N...ARE ASSOCIATED WITH 
THIS FRONT. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND QUIKSCAT THIS MORNING INDICATE 
25 TO 30 KT WINDS ALONG AND NW OF THE FRONT...CLOSE BUT NOT QUITE TO 
GALE FORCE. SHIP OBS SHOW MAX SEAS TO 10-11 FT IN THE NW GULF. THE 
FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE LATE
TONIGHT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BEHIND THE FRONT TONIGHT AND THU AS HIGH
PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE SE CONUS. BUT THIS LULL WILL BE BRIEF...AS SLY
RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS THU NIGHT AND FRI AHEAD OF ANOTHER STRONG FRONT 
EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NW GULF WATERS FRI NIGHT. GALE CONDITIONS ARE 
EXPECTED IN THE NW GULF BEHIND THE FRONT FRI NIGHT AND SAT. STRONG 25
TO 30 KT NW WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF THROUGH MON.

CARIBBEAN AND TROP N ATLC...FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL PERSIST 
ACROSS THE REGION AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA. ALTHOUGH THE 
RIDGE MAY BRIEFLY WEAKEN IN RESPONSE TO FAST MOVING FRONTS IN THE 
WRN ATLC...HIGH PRES BUILDING BEHIND EACH FRONT WILL SUSTAIN THE 
TRADES WITH LITTLE INTERRUPTION. THE FRONTS PUSHING THROUGH THE GULF 
OF MEXICO WILL PENETRATE S INTO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL...BUT THEN WEAKEN
AND DISSIPATE RAPIDLY WITH LITTLE EFFECT...EXCEPT FOR AN INCREASE IN 
SHOWER ACTIVITY BETWEEN WESTERN CUBA AND BELIZE.

SW N ATLC...SHIP OBS AND QUIKSCAT INDICATE 30 TO 40 KT SLY WINDS E 
OF NORTHERN FLORIDA AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING STRONG COLD FRONT IN THE 
EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. AS THE FRONT EMERGES OFF THE EAST COAST THIS 
EVENING THE STRONG WINDS WILL SHIFT NW. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH
AND SHIFT NE THU AS HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE SW ATLC.
FRESH ELY TRADES WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE SRN BAHAMAS THROUGH SUN AS 
HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA MOVES E. SLY FLOW WILL AGAIN INCREASE SUN TO 
GALE FORCE N OF THE BAHAMAS AHEAD OF ANOTHER STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING
THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO EMERGE OFF THE 
SE CONUS EARLY MON MORNING.

 
WARNINGS...
ATLC...
GALE WARNING AMZ080...N OF 28N E OF FRONT TONIGHT AND WED. 

CARIBBEAN...
NONE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED GMZ080 AND GMZ082 BEHIND FRONT FRI NIGHT 
AND SAT. 

FORECASTER MUNDELL