000 AGXX40 KNHC 090632 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EDT FRI MAY 9 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO...CMAN AND BUOY SITES IN THE IN THE FLORIDA BIG BEND AREA OF THE NORTHEAST GULF ARE INDICATING 20 KT WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST THIS MORNING. THIS IS DUE TO A SOMEWHAT TIGHT GRADIENT BETWEEN A SURFACE RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF...AND LOW PRESSURE DIGGING THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TO THE NORTH. THESE WINDS DIMINISH LATER TODAY AS THE LOW LIFTS OUT. ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE GULF...LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHERLY FLOW PREVAILS AROUND THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE SURFACE RIDGE. WINDS PICK UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF TOMORROW AS LOW PRESSURE EMERGES OUT OF THE ROCKIES INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. WINDS DIMINISH IN THE WESTERN GULF BUT PICK UP OVER THE NORTHEASTERN GULF BY SUNDAY AS THE LOW LIFTS OUT INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. WINDS DIMINISH AS AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS BY LATE SUNDAY...FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE. RETURN FLOW PICKS UP OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY TUESDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE PLAINS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL NORTH ATLANTIC...SCATTEROMETER AND SHIP OBSERVATIONS SHOW FRESH TO STRONG EAST FLOW INTO THE GULF OF HONDURAS THIS PAST EVENING...BETWEEN INLAND TERRAIN AND HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN ATLC. BUOYS AND SCATTEROMETER DATA ALSO SHOW STRONG TRADES OVER MAINLY THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. BUOY 42058 IS SHOWING 20 TO 25 KT FLOW. SLIGHTLY HIGHER WINDS ARE LIKELY FURTHER SOUTH NEAR THE MOUNTAINOUS COLOMBIAN AND VENEZUELAN COASTS. EAST OF THE ANTILLES...FRESH TRADES ARE NOTED IN ASCAT DATA MAINLY SOUTH OF 15N...WITH GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS CLOSER TO THE RIDGE AXIS N OF 15N. TRADES DIMINISH SLIGHTLY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH IS WEAKENED BY A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE FLORIDA COAST BY LATE SUNDAY. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLANTIC...1022 MB SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA NEAR 30N60W. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TO 20 KT IS NOTED IN SCATTEROMETER AND BUOY DATA OFF THE FLORIDA COAST...BETWEEN THE HIGH PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. THE SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDS FROM THE HIGH PRESSURE THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA...AND WILL SHIFT A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH TO 22N THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY...AS A DEEP LOW PRESSURE AREA MOVES OFF THE DELAWARE COAST LATE FRIDAY. FRESH TO STRONG SW TO W WINDS WILL SPREAD EAST BETWEEN THE CAROLINAS AND BERMUDA...TO THE NORTH OF THE RIDGE AXIS. AN ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY ORIENTED WEST TO EAST MAY SLIP SOUTHWARD TO 31N ON SUNDAY...BUT QUICKLY LIFT NORTHWARD AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT EMERGING OFF THE GEORGIA COAST BY SUNDAY NIGHT. GLOBAL AND ENSEMBLE MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT MAINLY N OF 25N AS IT SHIFTS EASTWARD TOWARD BERMUDA. WARNINGS... ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.