000 AGXX40 KNHC 061729 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. THE LATEST RUN OF THE GFS REMAINS CONSISTENT IN MOVING THE SFC HIGH PRES RIDGE CURRENTLY ALONG 28-29N S TO NEAR 24N SAT AND SUN. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO A COLD FRONT WHICH IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE EAST COAST LATE FRI AND SAT...AND APPROACH THE NRN GULF LATER SAT BEFORE STALLING. THIS WILL INCREASE CONVECTION MAINLY OVER THE NRN AND CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND E GULF ZONES. OTHERWISE...EXPECT WINDS MAINLY 10 KT OR LESS EXCEPT FOR ISOLATED AREAS OF 10 TO 15 KT THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. SEAS SHOULD LIKEWISE BE LOW...WITH WAVE HEIGHTS OF 1 TO 3 FT GENERALLY THE RULE. N END OF A TROPICAL WAVE IS APPROACHING THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL PASS OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN BAHAMAS TONIGHT...CLOSING IN ON S FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA STRAITS THU MORNING. MORNING QUIKSCAT DATA REVEALED A MUCH SMALLER AREA OF ENHANCED WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE COMPARED TO THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. STILL THOUGH...A SMALL AREA OF 20 TO 25 KT WINDS WAS NOTED MAINLY WITHIN 120 NM OF THE AXIS BETWEEN 22N AND 26. ALTHOUGH THIS SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN... NE TO E WINDS OF ABOUT 20 KT SHOULD FOLLOW IT ON ITS WESTWARD TRACK...WITH SEAS INCREASING UP TO 6 OR 7 FT E OF THE BAHAMAS. OTHERWISE...THE ATLC RIDGE ALONG 29N/30N WILL SHIFT S TO ALONG 25-26N THU THROUGH SAT THEN MOVE E AS A COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE EAST COAST LATE FRI AND SAT. AHEAD OF THE FRONT MODELS ARE FORECASTING SW WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KT AND SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT OVER THE FAR NRN PORTION OF THE SW ATLANTIC ZONE LATE FRI AND SAT. THE FRONT SHOULD STALL OFFSHORE AND PROVIDE A CONTINUING FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE RAINS OVER THE NORTHERN WATERS...WITH SW WINDS 15 TO POSSIBLY 20 KT N OF 27N E OF 72W. WINDS AND SEAS SHOULD GRADUALLY SUBSIDE MON...AS THE FRONT LOSES ITS IDENTITY AND THE ASSOCIATED MID/UPR LVL TROUGH LIFTS OUT. MODERATE TO STRONG TRADES ACROSS THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN GENERALLY S OF 17N AND E 10-15 KT N OF 17N. TROPICAL WAVE IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN CURRENTLY ALONG 74W WILL MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN THU THROUGH SAT...AND PASS W OF THE AREA SUN. NO CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE E CARIBBEAN LATE THU...THEN ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA FRI AND SAT...FOLLOWED BY INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .FORECASTER KOSIER. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.