000 AGXX40 KNHC 271749 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1250 PM EST FRI FEB 27 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... S WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO 20-25 KT OVER THE WRN AND MIDDLE WATERS IN RESPONSE TO A STRONG COLD FRONT OVER THE OHIO VALLEY WHICH EXTENDS SE TO TEXAS. SEAS HAVE BUILT TO 9 FT AT BUOY 42019 OFF THE TEXAS COAST. MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN SHOWING THE FRONT MOVING INTO THE NW GULF WATERS SAT MORNING AND THEN MOVING QUICKLY SE...CLEARING THE ENTIRE AREA BY SUN EVENING. GALE HEADLINE IS POSTED S OF 24N W OF 95W FOR SAT NIGHT AND SUN...WHICH STILL SEEMS REASONABLE GIVEN 1030 MB+ HIGH PRES BUILDING S OVER S TEXAS BEHIND THE FRONT. KEPT 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS OVER THE NW ZONE...STILL IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH LATEST NAM AND GFS. WINDS/SEAS DIMINISH MON AND TUE AS HIGH PRES SHIFTS E ACROSS THE NRN WATERS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... SFC PATTERN HAS CHANGED LITTLE OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS AS THE TAIL END OF A FRONT REMAINS STALLED NEAR THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WITH STRONG HIGH PRES POSITIONED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC. THESE FEATURES ARE PRODUCING 15-20 KT NE WINDS OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN...BUT THIS FLOW SHOULD BE DIMINISHING TONIGHT AS THE FRONT DISSIPATES. OTHERWISE...TRADES ARE AT FAIRLY TYPICAL OR SLIGHTLY REDUCED SPEEDS AND WILL GENERALLY REMAIN THAT WAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FAR NW PORTION SUN EVENING THEN EXTEND FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO NICARAGUA BY MON EVENING. NLY 20-25 KT WINDS ARE FORECAST BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST SRN GULF OF HONDURAS WHERE THE FETCH IS GREATEST. WINDS WILL SLACKEN E OF THE FRONT DUE TO THE INTERRUPTION OF THE ATLC SUBTROPICAL RIDGE. THE FRONT WEAKENS LATE MON AND TUE AS IT REACHES THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AND ACCORDINGLY WINDS/SEAS WILL DIMINISH. SW N ATLANTIC... A FRONT REMAINS STALLED ACROSS THE SE PART OF THE AREA FROM 26N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. QSCAT PASS FROM AROUND 10Z SHOWED A SWATH OF 20-25 KT WINDS W OF THE FRONT TO ABOUT 75W. THE TAIL END OF THE FRONT WILL BEGIN DISSIPATING TONIGHT ALLOWING WINDS TO DIMINISH. ATTENTION THEN TURNS TO THE NW PART OF THE ZONE AS SLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT ON SAT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE COAST SUN MORNING. THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRES OCCLUDES AS IT MOVES UP THE E COAST. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR WINDS TO REACH GALE FORCE NEAR THE N BORDER SUN. HOWEVER...HELD OFF BECAUSE THIS GREATLY DEPENDS UPON LOW PRES POSITION AND STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY AT THIS POINT. EVEN IF GALES DO OCCUR...IT SHOULD BE VERY SHORT LIVED AND LIMITED TO NEAR 30N-31N. THE FRONT MOVES E ACROSS THE AREA MON AND TUE AND THEN WEAKENS ACROSS THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE ZONE. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CANGIALOSI. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.