000 AGXX40 KNHC 281739 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1240 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A STRONG COLD FRONT IS OFF THE TEXAS COAST FROM S CNTRL LOUISIANA TO NE MEXICO NEAR 25N97W. BUOY OBS ARE REPORTING N 20-25 KT WINDS N OF THE BOUNDARY. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FURTHER AS A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE UPPER PLAINS DIGS SE REINFORCING THE FRONT. A GALE WARNING REMAINS POSTED FOR THE SW ZONE W OF 95W FOR NLY 30-40 KT WINDS N OF THE FRONT LATE TODAY THROUGH SUN. KEPT 30 KT FOR ALL OTHER ZONES BUT ADDED MENTION OF GUSTS TO GALE FORCE...IN AGREEMENT WITH MOST OF THE GUIDANCE. WENT SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN GUIDANCE IN THE SW ZONE NEAR THE COAST OF MEXICO DUE TO USUAL ENHANCED FUNNELING. THESE WINDS WILL GENERATE HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS ELEVATING SEAS TO 10-15 FT WITH N SWELL. THE FRONT CLEARS THE ENTIRE AREA BY SUN EVENING AND WINDS/SEAS WILL DIMINISH QUICKLY FROM W-E AS HIGH PRES BUILDS E ACROSS THE N WATERS. HIGH PRES SHIFTS OFF THE CAROLINA COAST BY MID-WEEK ALLOWING E TO SE FLOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE FAR WRN WATERS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... TRADES ARE NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL DUE TO A WEAK STATIONARY FRONT N OF THE AREA...WHICH IS PERTURBING THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGING. HOWEVER...WINDS WILL BE INCREASING OVER THE W CARIBBEAN AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL SUN EVENING THEN EXTENDS 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 11 FT...HIGHEST SRN GULF OF HONDURAS AND SW ZONE WHERE THE FETCH IS GREATEST. WHILE THE FRONT WEAKENS TUE AND WED OVER THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...THE TIGHTENED PRES GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDING E OVER THE W ATLC WILL KEEP N TO NE WINDS STRONG OVER THE W CARIBBEAN. SW N ATLANTIC... SLY WINDS ARE INCREASING OVER THE NW WATERS 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 LEADING TO A POTENTIAL GALE EVENT NEAR THE N BORDER SUN. HOWEVER...RATHER THAN ISSUING A WARNING...ADDED GUSTS TO GALE FORCE WORDING AS IT APPEARS THAT ANY NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS SHOULD BE VERY SHORT LIVED AND LIMITED TO NEAR 31N. THE FRONT MOVES E ACROSS THE AREA MON AND TUE THEN WEAKENS ACROSS THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE ZONE BY MID-WEEK AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE WRN ATLC. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GALE WARNING S OF 25N W OF 95W LATE TODAY THROUGH SUN...GMZ082 FORECASTER CANGIALOSI. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.