000 AGXX40 KNHC 170733 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EST TUE FEB 17 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES IS MOVING EASTWARD THROUGH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BEHIND A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVED ACROSS GULF AND INTO THE WESTERN ATLC AND CARIBBEAN. BUOY AND SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW 15 TO 20 KT FLOW ACROSS THE GULF ON THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH PRES. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW PICKS UP LATE TODAY ALONG THE TEXAS COAST BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES BY THEN OFF GEORGIA COAST AND DEVELOPING LOW PRES DIGGING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. A BAND OF 20 TO 25 KT WINDS SHIFTS FROM THE NW GULF ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS THROUGH TUE...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE WED. COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALLOW STRONG WINDS TO MIX TO THE SURFACE AS THE FRONT PUSHES ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF ON THU. HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF FRI BEHIND THE FRONT ALLOWING WINDS TO DIMINISH OVER THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN GULF BY LATE FRI. GLOBAL MODELS INDICATE ANOTHER FRONT MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN GULF BY LATE SAT...HERALDING ANOTHER ROUND OF FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS. CARIBBEAN... A COLD FRONT IS PUSHING THROUGH EASTERN CUBA AND INTO THE NORTHERN CARIBBEAN. SCATTEROMETER AND SHIP OBSERVATIONS SHOW FRESH WINDS OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN BEHIND THE FRONT. SHIP OBSERVATION ALSO SHOW 20 TO 25 KT WINDS OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. ELSEWHERE GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE FLOW IS EVIDENT. WINDS WILL START TO INCREASE TODAY FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE BASIN AS HIGH PRES OVER THE SOUTHEAST U.S. BUILDS EAST INTO THE WESTERN ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT...TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE CARIBBEAN. LONG PERIOD SWELL UP TO 9 FT SLIPS THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES STARTING WED. WINDS DIMINISH OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN BY LATE WED AS THE HIGH PRES SHIFTS FURTHER EAST. ANOTHER COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN LATE THU...FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRES BUILDING N OF THE AREA. THIS INCREASES TRADES OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN ON FRI...AND THE REST OF BASIN INTO SAT AS THE HIGH PRES SHIFT INTO THE WESTERN ATLC. ATLANTIC W OF 55W... STRONG NW WINDS ARE EVIDENT MAINLY E OF 75W ON THE HEELS OF A DEEPENING LOW PRES SYSTEM AND COLD FRONT THAT SHIFTED FROM FLORIDA TO EAST OF BERMUDA MON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST TODAY AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST BEHIND THE FRONT. LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL IN EXCESS OF 15 FT WILL PUSH TOWARD PUERTO RICO AND THE LEEWARDS THROUGH FRI. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASES OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST WED BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE SE U.S. THESE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO GALE FORCE THU AS THE ASSOCIATED LOW TO THE NORTH DEEPENS AS IT MOVES OFF THE NE U.S. COAST. STRONG NW WINDS FOLLOW THE FRONT INTO FRI AS IT SHIFTS EAST...BUT THEN DIMINISH INTO SAT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA. THE FRONT LOSES UPPER SUPPORT AND STALLS FROM ROUGHLY 31N55W TO CENTRAL CUBA BY MIDDAY SAT. ATLANTIC... GALE WARNING N OF 28N E OF 70W...AMZ080. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.