000 AGXX40 KNHC 201756 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1255 PM EST SAT DEC 20 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... RIDGE IS ACROSS THE AREA ALONG 23N. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN A LITTLE WEST OF 80W SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH WESTERLIES DROPPING SOUTH TO NORTH OF 26N OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO BY LATE MONDAY. THE RIDGE WILL THEN BUILD WEST ALONG 24N WITH WESTERLIES BACKING TO SOUTHWESTERLIES OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO BY LATE TUESDAY. THEN THE RIDGE WILL SLOWLY EXPAND WEDNESDAY TO COVER THE ENTIRE AREA BY THURSDAY. SURFACE... WEAK RIDGE IS OVER THE AREA. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY SUNDAY AND RAPIDLY MOVE ACROSS THE AREA MOVING PAST BERMUDA LATE MONDAY. THE FRONT WILL NOT EXTEND SOUTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES INSTEAD THE FRONT WILL WASH OUT AS THE STRONG HIGH BEHIND THE FRONT REMAINS RATHER FAR NORTH OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. THE BUILDING RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA WILL CAUSE RATHER STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA BEGINNING MONDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. BY THURSDAY WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVER THE AREA WEST OF 80W AND ALSO NORTH OF 25N BUT REMAIN STRONG ELSEWHERE THROUGH THURSDAY. GALE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST NORTH OF THE FRONT IN THE NORTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO BEGINNING ABOUT 18 UTC SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. MODELS HAVE BACKED OFF OF THE WIND SPEED BUT DO NOT WANT TO DROP THE GALE FROM THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING...GMZ080 FORECASTER LL. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.