000 AGXX40 KNHC 191749 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1250 PM EST FRI DEC 19 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 UPPER LEVELS... UPPER TROUGH EXETNDS ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC WATERS JUST NORTH OF 15N AND ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN TO THE COLOMBIAN COAST. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTH AND REMAIN OVER THE NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICAN COAST AND EXTEND WESTWARD ALONG THE CENTRAL AMERICAN CARIBBEAN COAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE LARGE HIGH CENTERED OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE ASSOCIATED EAST TO WEST RIDGE WILL COVER THE AREA. RIDGE WILL SINK A LITTLE SOUTH THROUGH SUNDAY WITH THE AXIS ALONG ABOUT 22N AND WESTERLIES NORTH OF ABOUT 26N. RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND THE WESTERLIES WILL MOVE BACK NORTH OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY. SURFACE... WEAKENING TROUGH IS NEAR 60W WITH NE WINDS OF 20 KNOTS NORTH OF PUERTO RICO AND REPUBLICA DOMINICANA. THESE WINDS WILL DECREASE TO LESS THAN 20 KT SATURDAY. OTHERWISE A WEAK RIDGE WILL BE OVER THE AREA. STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF TEXAS COAST EARLY SUNDAY. THE FRONT WILL OFF THE GEORGIA COAST SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND BY LATE MONDAY EXTEND FROM JUST SOUTHEAST OF BERMUDA TO EASTERN CUBE AND WEAKLY ACROSS THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN TO NEAR THE BELIZE MEXICO BORDER. THE FRONT WILL THEN LOSE ITS CHARACTER AS LARGE RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA DOMINATES THE FLOW TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF TEXAS COAST MIDDAY WEDNESDAY WITH NORTHEAST WINDS TO 20 KNOTS BEHIND THIS FRONT. THE WINDS IN THE GULF WILL APPROACH GALE FORCE IN THE WEST HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. AT HIS TIME HAVE GALE CONDITION EXPECTED IN NW GULF ZONE ONLY. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.