000 AGXX40 KNHC 120739 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 237 AM EST FRI DEC 12 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... REINFORCING COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM JUST S OF TAMPA BAY TO 23N90W USHERING IN STRONG NW WINDS OVER MOST OF THE GULF. ALTHOUGH A 0035 UTC HI RES QSCAT PASS INDICATED GALE FORCE WINDS WERE STILL OCCURRING OVER THE N PORTION OF THE E GULF ZONE... LATEST SFC OBS FROM BUOYS AND CMAN SITES INDICATED WINDS HAVE NOW DROPPED TO 20-25 KT MOST AREAS THUS ALLOWING THE GALE WARNING TO EXPIRE. SEAS REMAIN HIGH WITH BUOYS 42036 AND 42039 REPORTING 15-16 FT SEAS. WINDS WILL VEER TO THE N AND NE LATER TODAY BUT REMAIN IN THE 20-25 KT RANGE OVER THE E HALF OF THE GULF. NEW LOW PRES CENTER CROSSING CENTRAL PLAINS TIGHTENS PRES GRADIENT WITH MODERATE TO STRONG RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING SAT W OF 93W AND SPREADING OVER MOST OF THE GULF SUN. WINDS DIMINISH SLIGHTLY MON. A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE NW GULF TUE BUT STALLS JUST SHY OF THE COAST. NWP MODELS ARE IN SURPRISINGLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON A SCENARIO SO FAR OUT IN TIME. SW N ATLC... STRONG PRIMARY COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N76W TO CENTRAL CUBA WITH REINFORCING FRONT ENTERING THE FAR NW PORTION OF THE AREA. HI RES QSCAT PASS THIS EVENING MISSED THE AREA OF CONCERN AS WELL THE SUBSEQUENT ASCAT PASS. IN ANY EVENT BUOY 41002 REPORTED S WINDS OF 31 KT AND A NEARBY SHIP REPORTED 37 KT WINDS. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ARE AROUND 30 KT N OF 30N AS WELL. THUS WILL KEEP GALE GOING TILL 12 UTC FOR THE HIGH SEAS AND LET EXPIRE FOR THE OFFSHORE WATERS SINCE THE FIRST PERIOD BEGINS AFTER 12 UTC. FRONT SWIFTLY MOVES EWD AND EXTENDS FROM 31N70W TO E CUBA WITH NW WINDS RAPIDLY DIMINISHING TO 20 KT. AS HIGH PRES STRENGTHENS N OF THE AREA SAT AND SUN LARGE FETCH OF NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT SAT INCREASE TO 20-30 KT AND LOCALLY HIGHER SUN GENERALLY N OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WHICH WILL EXTEND FROM 27N65W TO SE CUBA BY LATE SAT WITH THE REMNANT BOUNDARY EXTENDING E-W ALONG 23N BY LATE SUN. WINDS CONTINUE MON AND SLOWLY SUBSIDE TUE. NWW3 BUILDS A LARGE AREA OF 12-16 FT SEAS DURING THIS PERIOD OF EXTENDED STRONG WINDS. FOR NOW THIS APPEARS REASONABLE HOWEVER IF THESE WINDS DO INDEED MATERIALIZE WE MAY WELL SEE FULLY DEVELOPED SEAS OF 18 FT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... PRIMARY COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO E HONDURAS. FRONT HAS USHERED IN NW-N WINDS OF 20-25 KT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN. A 2358 UTC HI RES QSCAT PASS INDICATED MODERATE TO FRESH NE TO E TRADES ACROSS THE E CARIBBEAN N OF 16N WITH LOCALLY HIGHER WINDS IN THE MONA AND ANEGADA ATLC PASSAGES. WINDS GRADUALLY DIMINISH BEHIND THE FRONT AS WELL AS OVER THE E CARIBBEAN LATER TODAY AND SAT. IN THE MEANTIME MODERATE LONG PERIOD SWELL TRAINS RESULTING FROM FETCH OF THE SRN PERIPHERY OF ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE MOVE ACROSS THE N PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC. STRONG HIGH PRESS N OF THE AREA ALLOWS MODERATE TO FRESH NE WINDS TO ENTER THE ATLC PASSAGES AND ELSEWHERE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN SUN THROUGH TUE. ATLANTIC... GALE WARNING...N OF 29N E OF FRONT TO 73W...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER COBB. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.