000 AGXX40 KNHC 181657 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1255 PM EDT SAT OCT 18 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO...COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM N OF TAMPA TO THE SOUTHERN BAY OF CAMPECHE WILL CONTINUE SE TODAY AND STALL FROM THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY EARLY SUN MORNING. BUOYS AND QUIKSCAT SHOW 20 KT NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH FOR ALL BUT THE SOUTHERN GULF WATERS NEAR THE FRONT...BETWEEN HIGH PRES BUILDING OVER THE SE UNITED STATES AND LOW PRES NEAR BELIZE. WEAK RETURN FLOW SETS UP ALONG THE TEXAS COAST BY TUE...AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED PUSH OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY LATE WED BUT MAY MAKE SLOW PROGRESS THU INTO THE GULF AS UPPER SUPPORT CUTS OFF OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC WATERS W OF 55W...A WEAK AND HIGHLY SHEARED 1012 MB LOW IS CENTERED SE OF JAMAICA NEAR 17N76W. ANOTHER LOW AT 1010 MB IS CENTERED ALONG THE BELIZE COAST. BUOY AND SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW 15 TO 20 KT E WINDS TO THE NORTH OF THESE LOWS SOUTH OF CUBA. THE LOW IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN IS EXPECTED TO OPEN UP TO A TROUGH THEN DISSIPATE OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...BUT THE LOW IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WILL LINGER THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. MOST GLOBAL MODELS KEEP IT STATIONARY...BUT THE GFS LIFTS NE THROUGH WESTERN CUBA BY WED INTO THU. A TROPICAL WAVE CURRENTLY ALONG 54W WILL CONTINUE WEST N OF GUYANA AND REACH THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN BY LATE SUNDAY...AND THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN BY MIDWEEK. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE NEAR 35W MOVES INTO THE WATERS N OF GUYANA AND EAST OF BARBADOS BY MON AND TUE...AND REACHES THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN BY MID WEEK. WINDS AND SEAS PICK UP EARLY NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN BETWEEN HIGH PRES BUILDING OVER THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES AND THE TROPICAL WAVES MIGRATING INTO THE AREA. ATLANTIC WATERS N OF 20N W OF 55W...HIGH PRES BETWEEN BERMUDA AND THE BAHAMAS SHIFTS EAST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EMERGING OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST THIS MORNING. DEEP TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES WILL PUSH THE FRONT THROUGH THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS THROUGH MONDAY...FOLLOWED BY 20 KT NORTHERLY FLOW AND FRESH SWELL FROM 8 TO 12 FT. THE TROUGH LIFTS OUT EARLY IN THE WEEK AND HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. WINDS DIMINISH IN ALL BUT THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND FLORIDA STRAITS AREAS BETWEEN THE HIGH AND TROPICAL WAVES TO THE SOUTH. WAVEWATCH SHOWS SWELLS DECAY VERY SLOWLY...WITH 11 FT SWELL PERSISTING NE OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH THU. WARNINGS... ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.