000 AGXX40 KNHC 231803 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1O5 PM EST SAT FEB 23 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... LARGE ANTICYCLONE IS CENTERED OVER THE GREATER ANTILLES WITH SOUTHWEST TO WEST FLOW NORTH OF 25N. ANTICYCLONE WILL WEAKEN SLIGHTLY AND MOVE SOUTH BECOMING A RIDGE ALONG 15N TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. A STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE EAST AND APPROACH THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO COAST LATE TUESDAY. BY LATE WEDNESDAY A STRONG SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL BE OVER THE AREA NORTH OF 20N WITH AN AXIS NEAR FLORIDA. THE TROUGH AXIS WILL RAPIDLY MOVE EAST AND NORTHEAST AND BY LATE THURSDAY WESTERLY FLOW WILL DOMINATE NORTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES. SURFACE... WEAKENING RIDGE ALONG 24N THROUGH MONDAY. ON MONDAY FRONTAL TROUGH OVER TEXAS WILL INCREASE SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE OFF TEXAS COAST MONDAY NIGHT WITH GALE CONDITIONS WEST OF THE FRONT MAINLY SOUTH OF 25N AND WEST OF 93W. GALE CONDITIONS WILL SUBSIDE LATE WED. COLD FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY EAST REACHING NEAR 30N85W TO NORTHEAST MEXICO MIDDAY TUESDAY AND 31N76W TO ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA TO BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE NIGHT AND 31N73W TO STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO YUCATAN PENINSULA MIDDAY WED THEN 31N65W TO ACROSS EAST-CENTRAL CUBA TO GULF OF HONDURAS MIDDAY THURSDAY. STRONG WINDS WILL BE OVER THE AREA WEST OF THE FRONT WITH 20 TO 30 IN THE GULF AND ATLANTIC N OF 29N AND 20 TO 25 KNOTS IN THE ATLANTIC S OF 29N AND THE CARIBBEAN. STRONG WINDS EAST OF THE FRONT WILL BE MOSTLY CONFINED TO NORTH OF 25N AND MAY APPROACH GALE CONDITIONS IN THE ATLANTIC EAST OF 78W. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... MODERATELY STRONG TRADES OVER THE ERN AND CNTRL CARIBBEAN SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE SUN AND MON WITH WEAKENING ATLC RIDGE. THIS SHOULD CAUSE THE CURRENT 6 TO 9 FT WAVE HEIGHTS ACROSS THESE AREAS...AND LOCALLY 9 TO 12 FT OFFSHORE THE COLOMBIAN COAST...TO DECREASE MARKEDLY BY LATE MON. IN FACT...4 TO 7 FT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FAIRLY COMMON AROUND THAT TIME...WITH 6 TO 8 FT CONDITIONS STILL LINGERING INTO THE SW CARIBBEAN THANKS TO A NE SWELL. THE WAVE WATCH III MODEL INDICATES NLY SWELL OF 8 TO 10 FT ENTERING THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN THU. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL