000 AGXX40 KNHC 151923 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 222 PM EST MON DEC 15 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 THE GULF OF MEXICO... MODERATE SE TO S FLOW OVER THE GULF CONTINUES TO DIMINISH AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TONIGHT. THE FRONT SHOULD STALL FROM 30N89W TO 25N97W TONIGHT AND LIFT NW OF THE AREA AS A WARM FRONT BY TUE AFTERNOON. RETURN FLOW SHOULD REDEVELOP OVER THE GULF TUE THROUGH FRI...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF WED AND THU...AND IT CONTINUES WITH AN ATLC OCEAN-TO-GLFMEX RIDGE. THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE TROPICAL NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN... PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN STRONG HIGH PRES CENTERED WELL NORTH OF THE AREA AND RELATIVE LOW PRES OVER THE CARIBBEAN SHOULD KEEP ENHANCED TRADES ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA EARLY THIS WEEK BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING OVER THE TROPICAL ATLC AND THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN MID WEEK. LOW PRES FORMING WELL NE OF THE AREA TO TRACK W TO WSW TOWARD THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN WED AND OVER THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN OR SE BAHAMAS THU AND FRI. LARGE SWELLS EXPECTED OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND NE AND N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN PASSAGES TUE THROUGH THU. THE SOUTHWESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN... A STATIONARY FRONT FROM 24N65W TO THE SE BAHAMAS STAYS INTACT FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO...WEAKENING INTO A TROUGH FOR 48 HOURS AND 72 HOURS. THE GRADIENT BETWEEN STRONG HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA AND THE FRONT RESULTS IN FRESH TO STRONG NE TO E WINDS TODAY. WINDS DIMINISH W OF 70W TUE AND WED BUT SHOULD BACK TO THE N TO NE AND REMAIN STRONG E OF 70W AND DRIVE LARGE SWELLS INTO THE ATLC PASSAGES. LOW PRES DEVELOPING WELL E OF THE AREA TUE ALONG THE OLD FRONT TRACKS W TO WSW TO NEAR 20N67W EARLY THURSDAY AND NEAR HISPANIOLA BEFORE DISSIPATING LATE THU INTO FRIDAY. ATLANTIC... AMZ080...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED WED FROM 24N TO 30N E OF 68W. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER MT. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.