000 AGXX40 KNHC 131937 AAA MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION...UPDATED NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 240 PM EST WED FEB 13 2008 ...UPDATED WARNINGS AND DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... 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 SE RETURN FLOW DEVELOPS THU THROUGH SAT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NW GULF WATERS SAT NIGHT. STRONG NW WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE NW GULF SUN AND 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... NONE. FORECASTER MUNDELL