000 AGXX40 KNHC 021803 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 105 PM EST MON MAR 2 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... CONDITIONS ARE IMPROVING FROM W TO E ACROSS THE GULF AS LOW PRES AND ITS ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED WELL E OF THE AREA. NLY 20-25 KT WINDS ARE STILL BLOWING OVER THE SE GULF WATERS...BUT WINDS HAVE LESSENED ELSEWHERE TO 15-20 KT E OF 91W AND LIGHTER W OF THERE. WINDS/SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH AS STRONG HIGH PRES...CURRENTLY POSITIONED OVER THE NRN GREAT LAKES...BUILDS S. THE HIGH WILL SHIFT OVER THE CAROLINA COAST BY WED WHICH WILL SET UP 15-20 KT SLY RETURN FLOW OVER THE W WATERS AND SIMILAR MAGNITUDE E FLOW THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. ELSEWHERE... WINDS WILL SLACKEN TO 10-15 KT AND REMAIN THAT WAY...BUT SHIFT E TO SE...THROUGH THE PERIOD. CARIBBEAN... A STRONG COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE SE FROM E CUBA TO EXTREME SE HONDURAS WITH N 20-25 KT WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH A SOMEWHAT EXTENSIVE FETCH THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL IS ELEVATING SEAS UP TO 12 FT IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS. TRADES ARE SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL E OF THE FRONT DUE TO THE WEAKENED PRES PATTERN. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT CROSSES THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TONIGHT AND THEN EXTEND FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE SW CARIB TUE. THE BOUNDARY BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFUSE NEAR PUERTO RICO LATE WED AND THU. HOWEVER...EVEN AS THE FRONT DISSIPATES...NE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN FRESH TO STRONG OVER THE W CARIBBEAN DUE TO THE TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING SE OVER THE W ATLC. THESE WINDS MAY EVEN APPROACH GALE FORCE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA FRI. SEAS ARE FORECAST TO BE HIGHEST OVER THE SW CARIB WHERE THE FETCH IS GREATEST. ATLANTIC... AS MENTIONED IN THE CARIBBEAN SECTION...THE MAIN WX FEATURE IS A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N71W THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TO E CUBA. SLY WINDS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE UP TO 30 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT NEAR 30N/31N...BUT HAVE DIMINISHED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS AS THE SFC LOW QUICKLY HEADS N. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE WITHIN 150 NM E OF THE FRONT AND THERE ARE LIKELY SOME GUSTS TO GALE FORCE IN THIS ACTIVITY. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH FROM 31N66W TO HAITI TONIGHT AND FROM 29N65W TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TUE THEN E OF THE AREA LATE WED. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS SE BEHIND THE FRONT WED THEN SETTLES ALONG 29N THU AND FRI. THIS PATTERN WILL LIGHTEN THE WINDS OVER THE N WATERS BUT INCREASE NE/E WINDS ACROSS THE SRN WATERS. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CANGIALOSI. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.