000 AGXX40 KNHC 200717 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 320 AM EDT THU MAR 20 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER ERN TEXAS HAS 125 KT SW JET CORE ADVECTING TRPCL MOISTURE FROM E PAC INTO GULF OF MEXICO AHEAD OF SURFACE COLD FRONT. THIS IS THE ONLY SIGNS OF WATER IN AN OTHERWISE VERY DRY AIR MASS ACROSS REMAINDER OF DISCUSSION REGION. MID-UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER CARIBBEAN BASIN EXTENDS N INTO SW N ATLC WITH MODERATE TO STRONG SUBSIDENCE. SHORT WAVE TROUGH THAT ENHANCED SURFACE LOW PRES HAS SHIFTED NE PULLING ITS SUPPORT AWAY FROM COLD FRONT WHICH WILL DIMINISH ITS WINDS BY SAT AS IT STALLS ACROSS SW N ATLC. GULF OF MEXICO... COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 29N83W TO 22N88W LOSING SIGNIFICANT PUNCH IN GULF OF MEXICO WATERS AS UPPER SUPPORT PULLS AWAY N OF AREA. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE ALTHOUGH REMAIN STRONG. SEAS SUBSIDE SIGNIFICANTLY BUT REMAIN ABOVE 8 FT E OF 94W. MODELS DIFFER AS TO WHETHER SURFACE LOW PRES FORMS ALONG BOUNDARY AND LIFTS NE ACROSS N CENTRAL FLORIDA SAT WHILE HIGH PRES REBUILDS N OF GULF MAINTAINING ELY FLOW OVER ENTIRE NE GULF SAT AND SUN. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...HIGH PRES 1027 MB OVER SW N ATLC AND 1008 MB LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA ARE PACKING PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THEM PRODUCING STRONG WINDS ACROSS SRN HALF OF CARIBBEAN REACHING TO GALE FORCE WINDS ALONG COAST OF COLOMBIA. AS HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND IS FORCED E BY INCOMING COLD FRONT GRADIENT RELAXES AND EXPECTED TO BE BELOW GALE FORCE WITHIN 12-18 HRS. ELSEWHERE...LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELL CONTINUE TO SEEP THROUGH ATLC PASSAGES AND INTO ERN CARIBBEAN ...AS WELL AS IN TRPCL N ATLC WATERS E OF LEEWARD ISLANDS. SWELLS DECAY THROUGH FRI BUT LINGER NEAR 8-10 FT IN SRN HALF OF TRPCL ATLC THROUGH SUN. SW N ATLC...STRONG SLY FLOW INCREASE OFF N FLORIDA COAST AHEAD OF COLD FRONT MOVING OFF COAST EARLY THIS MORNING. SOME STRONG GUST TO NEAR GALE FORCE COULD BE EXPECTED LATER TODAY. FRONT MOVE E THEN STALL FROM 31N65W TO 23N80W TONIGHT AS UPPER SUPPORT PULLS AWAY FROM FORECAST AREA. SURFACE HIGH PRES 1024 MB MOVES SE INTO SW N ATLC RELAXING WIND SPEEDS AS RIDGE IS PUSHED E BY SECOND COLD FRONT ENTERING FORECAST AREA LATE SUN. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... GALE WARNING ALONG COLOMBIAN COAST...AMZ084-086. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER WALLY BARNES