000 AGXX40 KNHC 271743 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... WEAK BROAD CYCLONIC CIRCULATION IS OVER THE TROPICAL SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLANTIC THROUGH FRIDAY. ON SATURDAY SOME OF THE VORTICITY WILL BE PICKED UP BY THE WESTERLIES BUT REMNANT WEAK CYCLONIC CIRCULATION WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON THE SURFACE CONDITIONS. ELSEWHERE BROAD RIDGE CENTERED ALONG 20N COVERS THE ENTIRE AREA. WESTERLIES WILL MOVE SOUTH TO NORTH OF 25N WEDNESDAY AS A SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH THE WESTERLIES FURTHER SOUTH TO NORTH OF THE GREATER ANTILLES FRIDAY WITH A SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AND OVER THE ATLANTIC FRIDAY NIGHT AND MOVING PAST 65W SATURDAY NIGHT. MODERATE WESTERLIES NORTH OF 20N BEHIND THE SHORTWAVE. SURFACE... STRONG TRADES MAINLY EAST OF 85W WITH GALE CONDITIONS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA TONIGHT. TRADES WILL CONTINUE ABOVE NORMAL IN THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT THEN FALL TO LESS THAN NORMAL FRIDAY AS RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA WEAKENS. TRADES WILL REMAIN LESS THAN NORMAL THROUGH SUNDAY. ATLANTIC TRADES WILL CONTINUE ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH FRIDAY THEN FALL TO NEAR NORMAL SATURDAY AND LESS THAN NORMAL SUNDAY. CHANGES IN THE TRADES ARE DUE TO CHANGES IN THE RIDGE NORTH OF THE AREA. RIDGE OVER THE AREA NORTH OF 25N WILL WEAKEN FROM THE WEST AS COLD FRONT MOVES OFF TEXAS COAST LATE TONIGHT. FRONT WILL INITIALLY HAVE STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND IT OVER THE WEST GULF BUT WILL WEAKEN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS IT MOVES RATHER SLOWLY EASTWARD REACHING FLORIDA TO SOUTHERN MEXICO WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY NIGHT. DURING THURSDAY NIGHT...ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND SHORTWAVE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER EAST TEXAS INCREASING THE NORTHERLY FLOW NORTH OF THE FRONT. GALE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR THE SOUTHWEST GULF OF MEXICO FRIDAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE EAST FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WEAKENING THE WINDS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO BUT WITH INCREASING NORTHERLY WINDS IN THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN AND THE ATLANTIC BEHIND THE FRONT. FRONTAL TROUGH WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE ATLANTIC ASSOCIATED WITH THE SECOND SHORTWAVE WHICH WILL INCREASE THE SOUTHERLY WINDS EAST OF THE FRONT AND NORTHERLY WINDS WEST OF THE FRONT DURING FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY IN THE ATLANTIC AND MODERATE TO STRONG WINDS IN THE CARIBBEAN. HIGH SPREADS EASTWARD ALONG 30N LATE SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AND THE FRONTAL TROUGH WEAKENS AS THE SHORTWAVE MOVES EAST RESULTING IN WEAKENING WINDS OVER THE AREA SUNDAY. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... GALE WARNING AMZ084 AND AMZ086 THROUGH TONIGHT. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.