000 AGXX40 KNHC 040930 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 AM EST WED FEB 4 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... DRY AND WEATHER FREE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS DIVING SE ACROSS THE EXTREME NE GULF...WITH SINGLE DIGIT DEWPOINTS AND FREEZING TEMPS SPILLING INTO SRN PORTIONS OF THE GULF COAST STATES. SLOW DEEP LAYERED TROUGH ACROSS THE ERN U.S. WILL AID IN FORCING VERY COLD AIR S AND SE ACROSS THE GULF DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH ABOUT 6 HOURS OF 20-25 KT WINDS EXPECTED WITH AND BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT MOVES S AND SW ACROSS THE BASIN. SEAS ACROSS THE ERN GULF WILL QUICKLY BUILD 8 TO 10 FT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...ONLY TO SUBSIDE RATHER QUICKLY N OF 25N LATE TONIGHT AS THE NLY FLOW BEGINS TO DIMINISH. HIGH PRES BEHIND THE FRONT WILL SETTLE INTO THE EXTREME NE GULF BY EARLY FRI AND THEN SLIDE DUE E ALONG ABOUT 30N THROUGH THE WEEKEND TO QUICKLY BRING ABOUT A RETURN SLY FLOW FRI THROUGH SAT...AND INCREASE 20 TO 25 KT ACROSS THE W AND NW GULF ON SUNDAY...WHERE SEAS WILL BUILD 7 TO 9 FT. CARIBBEAN... INITIAL COLD FRONT HAS WASHED OUT FROM THE ERN TIP OF CUBA TO NEAR THE HONDURAS-NICARAGUA BORDER...WITH REINFORCING SECOND FRONT NOW CENTRAL CUBA TO GULF OF HONDURAS. NE FLOW OF 20-25 KT HAS BUILT ACROSS THE NW CARIB BEHIND THIS SECOND BOUNDARY IN THE PAST 6-9 HOURS AND WILL GRADUALLY EXPAND E AND SE OVER THE NEXT DAYS AS THE THIRD REINFORCING BOUNDARY MOVES SE ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO...FLORIDA AND BAHAMAS NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS VERY COLD AIR WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE FOR AREAS OF 30 KT WINDS FROM THE YUCATAN CHANNEL TO PANAMA THROUGH THU EVENING BEFORE WINDS GRADUALLY BEGIN TO ABATE. THIS PROLONGED STRONG NLY FLOW IN THE W AND NW CARIB...AND NNE IN THE CENTRAL AND SW CARIB WILL BUILD SEAS 10 TO 15 FT IN NLY WIND SWELL THROUGH FRI. HIGH PRES SHIFTING E INTO THE W ATLC OVER THE WEEKEND WILL ALLOW WINDS TO VEER MORE NELY...YIELDING A MORE TYPICAL WIND AND SEA SCENARIO ACROSS THE W HALF OF THE CARIB. ATLANTIC W OF 55W... MERGING COLD FRONTS EXTENDED FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO ERN CUBA TONIGHT AND WILL SLOW BUT CONTINUE TO MOVE SE NEXT 48 HOURS AS THE FRONT GRADUALLY DISSIPATES ACROSS NE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND OFFSHORE ATLC WATERS OF PUERTO RICO. STRONG SW TO S FLOW AHEAD AND WSW FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT WAS DEPICTED BY SCATTEROMETER PASSES AT 40 KT AND GREATER N OF 28N DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS...BUT HAS SINCE LIFTED OUT OF THE AREA WITH THE UPPER SUPPORT. THIS NEXT COLD FRONT...WITH EMPHASIS ON COLD...WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE W ATLC NEXT 24 HOURS AND MERGE WITH PRECEDING FRONTS BY THU EVENING. THIS BROAD WIND FIELD WILL PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIAL PULSE OF NW TO WNW SWELL ACROSS THE REGIONAL ATLC DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AND DRIVE SEAS TO 12 FT THROUGH THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND TO THE N COAST OF HISPANIOLA BY FRI MORNING AND REACH 10 FT ACROSS THE ATLC WATERS OF PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS FRIDAY EVENING. PEAK SWH ACROSS THE OPEN SW ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT IS FORECAST 15-18 FT TONIGHT S OF 30N BY WWIII. WINDS BEHIND THIS FRONT WILL BE NW TO NNW ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND THE GULF STREAM AND WILL LIMIT MODULATION OF SEAS IN THE GULF STREAM...WITH MAX SEAS OF 9 FT EXPECTED THERE. SUFFICIENT NWLY COMPONENT OF THIS SWELL IS EXPECTED FOR NW COASTS OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS TO SEE SIGNIFICANT SWELL ACTION FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ATLANTIC... AMZ088...GALE WARNING. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER STRIPLING. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.