000 AGXX40 KNHC 180718 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT TUE MAR 18 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVEL RIDGES MAINTAIN ENTIRE FORECAST REGION UNDER DRY SUBSIDING AIR MASS. ONLY TRACES OF MOISTURE FOUND IN LARGE AMPLITUDE UPPER TROUGH DIGGING S ACROSS FOUR CORNERS AREA TO BRING MOISTURE FROM E PAC ACROSS CENTRAL MEXICO INTO COLD FRONT NOW ALONG WRN TEXAS. GULF OF MEXICO...VERY STRONG SE WINDS UP TO GALE FORCE SPREAD OVER GULF OF MEXICO W OF 90W LIKELY TO REMAIN THROUGH TODAY TILL STRONG COLD FRONT SUPPORTED BY 995 MB LOW PRES OVER TEXAS MAKES ITS WAY SE WITH NLY WINDS JUST AS STRONG. LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELL...PRODUCT OF LONG FETCH AND DURATION OF EVENT...AS HIGH AS 15 FT ALREADY BEING REPORTED. NWW3 A TAD TOO SLOW WITH SEA HEIGHTS AND POSSIBLE FALL SHORT BY A COUPLE OF FT BY THE TIME GALE SHIFTS TO THE NW WINDS. WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE LATE WED AS HIGH PRES N OF AREA SHIFTS E...WITH LIGHT E TO SE FLOW ACROSS GULF FRI INTO SAT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...STRONG TRADES INCREASE ACROSS ENTIRE CARIBBEAN AS HIGH PRES OVER ATLC AND LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA TIGHTEN GRADIENT OVER BASIN. LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELL MOVE THROUGH MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES INTO ERN CARIBBEAN WED EVENTUALLY COVERING ENTIRE ERN HALF OF CARIBBEAN. SW N ATLC...STRONG NLY FLOW BEHIND COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 21N65W TO 21N75W. GALE FORCE WINDS N OF 25N E OF 67W QUICKLY SUBSIDE TODAY AS SUPPORTING LOW PRES TO THE N PULLS AWAY FROM REGION RELAXING PRES GRADIENT. WINDS CONTINUE SUBSIDING AS FRONT STALLS S OF AREA NEAR LEEWARDS. LARGE LONG PERIOD NLY SWELL...UP TO 23 FT SPREADING S THROUGH WATERS TOWARD CARIBBEAN ISLAND CHAIN SHOULD CAUSE SERIOUS IMPACT IN COASTAL SECTIONS. HIGH PRES MOVES E OVER BASIN WITH SE TO S WINDS INCREASING TO 25 KT AHEAD OF NEXT COLD FRONT ENTERING NW CORNER OF SW N ATLC LATE WED NIGHT. NE WIND FLOW BEHIND FRONT NOT A SHADOW OF PREVIOUS ONE BARELY REACHING 25 KT. SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE FROM PREVIOUS LARGE SWELLS. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... GALE WARNING N OF 28N E OF 72W...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING TUE N OF 23N W OF 90W...GMZ080...GMZ082. FORECASTER WALLY BARNES