000 AGXX40 KNHC 080728 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EST MON DEC 08 2008 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. RADIOFAX SCHEDULE FOR GRAPHICAL WIND WAVE...SURFACE FORECAST AND PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS HAS CHANGED. FOR THE ATLANTIC BASIN THIS INCLUDES 24...36...48 AND 72 HOUR WIND WAVE..24...48..72 HOUR SURFACE FORECAST AND 48 AND 72 HOUR PEAK WAVE PERIOD CHARTS. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE REFER TO THE FAX SCHEDULE ON THE NHC WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/RADIOFAX.SHTML GULF OF MEXICO... DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS ALONG ROUGHLY 22N ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF. LIGHT TO MODERATE FLOW EXTENDS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF N OF THE FRONT...AROUND HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE TENNESSEE VALLEY. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL START TO INCREASE TODAY OVER THE WESTERN GULF...IN BETWEEN THE SURFACE HIGH PRES AND LOW PRES DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. MUCH OF THE GULF WILL SEE 20 TO 25 KT S TO SE WINDS BY EARLY TUE...WITH 30 KT WINDS EXPECTED OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF...AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY TUE EVENING. NW WINDS WILL REACH STRONG GALE FORCE BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE WESTERN GULF. MAIN FORECAST ISSUE WILL BE WHETHER OR NOT A STORM WARNING IS NECESSARY OVER THE SW GULF FOR WED MORNING. THE OPERATIONAL GFS 30M WINDS HAVE BEEN SHOWING 50 KT NLY WINDS FOR THAT TIME FOR TWO SUCCESSIVE RUNS SO FAR...WHILE THE UKMET IS SHOWING WINDS TO 45 KT. CURRENT FORECAST ALREADY CALLS FOR WINDS TO 45 KT...BUT WILL MONITOR MODEL TRENDS TO DETERMINE IF A STORM WARNING IS NECESSARY WITHIN 48 HOURS. FROM LATE WED THROUGH THU...WINDS AND SEAS GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE GULF AS THE LOW DIGS EAST THROUGH THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRES BUILDING FROM TEXAS INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. LIGHT TO MODERATE NE TO E WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA BY FRI. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL NORTH ATLC... AN ASCAT PASS FROM 02Z SHOWED 20 TO 25 KT WINDS OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST. ELSEWHERE GENERALLY MODERATE WINDS ARE STARTING TO INCREASE. SEVERAL SHIPS FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL HAVE RECENTLY REPORTED 20 KT NE WINDS. THE INCREASE IS DUE TO HIGH PRES BUILDING NORTH OF THE AREA...AND SHOULD ALLOW WINDS TO REACH 20 TO 25 KT IN A BROAD SWATH FROM EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES TO BELIZE BY LATE TODAY...WITH 30 KT EXPECTED OFF COLOMBIA. WINDS STAY UP THROUGH MIDWEEK THEN START TO DIMINISH AS THE HIGH PRES NORTH OF THE AREA SHIFTS EAST. A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY THU NIGHT...AND BRINGS STRONG NLY WINDS ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN AND AS FAR SOUTH AS NICARAGUA BY FRI. SW NORTH ATLANTIC... SHIP AND SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW MODERATE TO FRESH NW WINDS BEHIND A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA. THE COLD FRONT WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST...LEAVING A DYING STATIONARY FRONT THROUGH THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. MEANWHILE HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND THE FRONT OFF THE CAROLINA COAST...PROMPTING THE WINDS TO SHIFT MORE NE TO NE AND INCREASE. E TO SE WINDS INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA TUE AND WED AS THE HIGH PRES STRENGTHENS NE OF AREA. SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO GALE CONDITIONS OVER THE WATERS N OF THE BAHAMAS AND EAST OF N FLORIDA ON THU...AHEAD OF STRONGER COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE NORTH FLORIDA COAST BY EARLY THU. WINDS DIMINISH AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST...REACHING A POSITION FROM NEAR BERMUDA THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS BY FRI EVENING. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.