000 AGXX40 KNHC 031824 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 125 PM EST TUE MAR 3 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO... CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... WINDS AND SEAS CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE ACROSS THE GULF AS HIGH PRES...CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER THE SRN GREAT LAKES...BUILDS TOWARD THE AREA. THE HIGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER THE CAROLINAS WED AND THEN INTO THE W ATLC WED NIGHT. THIS WILL ALLOW SLY WINDS TO INCREASE TO 15-20 KT OVER THE WRN WATERS AND E FLOW TO INCREASE TO A SIMILAR MAGNITUDE ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. THE HIGH SETTLES NEAR 30N75W THU THROUGH SAT. THIS HIGH POSITION COMBINED WITH DEVELOPING LOW PRES OVER THE WRN PLAINS WILL ENHANCE AND EXPAND THE SLY FLOW INTO THE MIDDLE WATERS AND PROMOTE FRESH TO STRONG E TO SE FLOW THROUGH THE FLORIDA STRAITS. NO FRONTS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD AS AN AMPLIFIED BLOCKING MID-UPPER RIDGE IS FORECAST TO SLOWLY SHIFT E OVER THE AREA. CARIBBEAN... COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM HISPANIOLA WELL SW TO THE N COAST OF COSTA RICA. N WINDS ARE FUNNELING OFF THE NICARAGUAN COAST ESTIMATED TO BE NEAR 30 KT AS SUGGESTED BY SHIP DATA AND A RECENT HI-RES QSCAT PASS. A LARGER AREA OF N TO NE 20-25 KT WINDS EXIST ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT ROUGHLY BETWEEN 74W AND 84W. THE FRONT STILL HAS SUFFICIENT UPPER SUPPORT TO CONTINUE SE FOR A WHILE LONGER...EXPECTED TO EXTEND FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO THE SW CARIBBEAN TONIGHT THEN DISSIPATING ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND THE EXTREME NE CARIBBEAN LATE WED THROUGH THU. HOWEVER...EVEN AS THE FRONT DISSIPATES...NE WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG AND EVEN EXPAND E AS THE HIGH SETTLES NEAR 28N71W THIS WEEKEND. THIS PATTERN MAY INCREASE WINDS TO GALE FORCE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA BY FRI AND SAT. ATLANTIC... LARGE UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO SUPPORT A STRONG COLD FRONT FROM 31N65W TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED W OF THE FRONT BUT ARE INCREASING AGAIN TO 20-25 KT N OF A SECONDARY SURGE SITUATED ACROSS THE FAR NE CORNER FROM 31N75W TO THE FLORIDA/GEORGIA BORDER. THIS QUICK MOVING SURGE WILL HELP REINFORCE THE FRONT PRODUCING A LARGER AREA OF 20-25 KT WINDS W OF THE FRONT TONIGHT AND WED. THE STRONG WINDS WILL THEN BE CONFINED TO THE SE HALF OF THE AREA WED THROUGH FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE CAROLINA COASTLINE AND INTO THE W ATLC. BY THE WEEKEND...THE HIGH WILL BUILD ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE ZONE ALLOWING WINDS TO LIGHTEN ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CANGIALOSI. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.