000 AGXX40 KNHC 011751 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EDT THU MAY 1 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH NOW CROSSING TEXAS SHOULD BRING NEW VORTICITY INTO NWRN GULF. JET CORE 115 KT ADVECTING TRPCL MOISTURE FROM E PAC JUST AHEAD OF WEAK COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH UPPER TROUGH. PREVIOUS TROUGH ALOFT OVER REGION FLATTENING LEAVING MOSTLY A ZONAL FLOW. VERY DRY AIR MASS OVER GULF AND SW N ATLC N OF 24N NOT MUCH OF A WEATHER PRODUCER. MOISTURE SWATH ACROSS WRN CARIBBEAN INCREASING AS RIDGE CENTER PREVIOUSLY OVER WRN VENEZUELA MOVED E ALLOWING MORE TRPCL MOISTURE FROM AMAZON REGION TO CREEP N INTO BASIN W OF 70W. GOOD DIFFLUENT FLOW OVER PANAMA ENHANCING DEEP CONVECTION OVER E PAC N OF 10N E OF 90W. HIGH PRES RIDGE E OF GULF OF MEXICO WILL STRENGTHEN SE FLOW THROUGH FRI NIGHT AS CENTER DRIFT S. GLOBAL MODELS RELAX GRADIENT AS HIGH PRES IS FORCED E BY NEW BUT WEAK COLD FRONT ACROSS SE STATES AND IN GULF WATERS MAINLY N OF 27N-28N. SE FLOW DIMINISHES SAT THROUGH TUE EXCEPT N OF NEW COLD FRONT WHERE MODERATE TO STRONG NE FLOW OCCUR. WEAKENING ATLC COLD FRONT FROM 26N65W TO HISPANIOLA SHOULD MOVE E OF AREA TONIGHT ALLOWING WEAK HIGH PRES CENTER TO BUILD S. PRES GRADIENT RELAXES ACROSS SW N ATLC AND CARIBBEAN LEAVING LIGHT TRADES OVER REGION THROUGH TUE. ONLY EXCEPTION TO THIS WOULD BE WINDS N OF 27N ON BOTH SIDES OF INCOMING WEAK COLD FRONT WHICH EMERGES OUT OF NW CORNER LATE MON AND REACHES 31N67W TO WINDWARD PASSAGE LATE TUE. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER WALLY BARNES. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.