000 AGXX40 KNHC 151950 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EST THU JAN 15 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... SURFACE HIGH CENTERED OVER E TX/W LOUISIANA THIS AFTERNOON HAS HELPED TO RELAX WINDS ACROSS THE GULF TODAY...LEADING TO A DECREASING TREND IN SEAS...WITH MAX WINDS OF 20 TO OCCASIONALLY 25 KT AND SEAS 6 TO 8 FT EXTENDING FROM SW FLORIDA COAST ACROSS THE N YUCATAN CHANNEL AND INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. VERY STRONG 1040 MB PLUS HIGH PRES WILL BUILD FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS SE TO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. THIS WILL TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND RESULT IN INCREASED WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE GULF BEGINNING N AND NE SECTIONS. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THROUGH SAT AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND SHIFTS INTO THE SE U.S. LOOKING AHEAD TO SUN AND MON...ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH DIGS INTO THE PLAINS AND PROPELS ANOTHER COLD FRONT INTO THE NORTHERN GULF SUN...WITH NORTHERLY FLOW INCREASING OVER THE NORTHERN GULF. THIS FRONT PUSHES SE OF THE AREA MON...FOLLOWED RAPIDLY BY A REINFORCING FRONT MON. CARIBBEAN... FRESH TO STRONG TRADES CONTINUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE CARIBBEAN. A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM W CENTRAL CUBA TO CENTRAL HONDURAS. WINDS WILL INCREASE NW OF THIS FRONT THROUGH SAT AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS TO THE NORTH. WINDS MAY REACH 30 KT THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY LATE FRI...BEFORE GRADUALLY DIMINISHING SAT INTO SUN. MEANWHILE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO BACK TO A MORE NE DIRECTION... AND WILL DIMINISH NEXT 12 HOURS AS A SURFACE TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH A WELL DEVELOPED UPPER TROUGH EAST OF THE ISLANDS... CONTINUES TO MOVES WESTWARD...AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE LESSER ANTILLES BY FRIDAY MORNING. A STRONG PRES GRADIENT ON THE NORTH SEMI CIRCLE OF THE TROUGH...AND DEEP LAYERED ELY WINDS WILL AID IN PRODUCING A BROAD ZONE OF 25 TO 30 KT WINDS IN THIS PORTION OF THE TROUGH...WITH GUSTS TO GALE FORCE...AND VERY SQUALLY WEATHER. THIS WILL SPREAD INTO THE E AND NE CARIB THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...WITH SEAS IN THE PASSAGES BUILDING 10 TO 12 FT FROM GUADELOUPE NORTHWARD BY FRIDAY MORNING. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT HAS BECOME STATIONARY FROM JUST S OF BERMUDA THROUGH THE NW BAHAMAS TO W CENTRAL CUBA. A REINFORCING FRONT HAS EMERGED OFF THE SE U.S. COAST THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS BEHIND THE FRONT DUE TO STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION. THIS FRONT WILL SLIDE TO GENERALLY THE SAME POSITION AS THE FIRST FRONT BY MIDDAY SAT...AS UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE SUPPORT LIFTS OUT. A SURFACE REFLECTION OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW CAN BE FOUND ALONG 53/54W THIS AFTERNOON...S OF 15N AND MOVING W IN TANDEM WITH THE PARENT UPPER LOW. THE LARGE WIND FIELD MENTIONED ABOVE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTING ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC BEHIND THE TROUGH THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ELY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT WITH POCKETS AND ZONES OF NEAR 30 KT WINDS...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE ATLC BETWEEN 15N AND 20N FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH ROUGH SEAS 13 TO 16 FT IN A MIX OF ELY TRADE WIND SWELL AND LONG PERIOD NW TO N SWELL. SQUALLS AND TSTMS N AND E OF THE TROUGH WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE VERY HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER STRIPLING. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.