000 AGXX40 KNHC 140450 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1250 AM EDT SAT MAR 14 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST TO A 1013 MB LOW PRES AREA NEAR 29N94W...THEN SW TO TAMPICO MEXICO. COASTAL AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS SHOW 10 TO 15 KT NORTHERLY WINDS W OF THE FRONT DOWN THE MEXICAN COAST...AND GENERALLY SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT ELSEWHERE. COASTAL RADAR RETURNS FROM LOUISIANA SHOW A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...IMPACTING ADJACENT WATERS. MEANWHILE...A STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS DIGGING THROUGH TEXAS...AND IS EXPECTED TO MAKE SLOW PROGRESS THROUGH THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WILL PROVIDE REINFORCING UPPER SUPPORT TO THE FRONT...ALLOWING THE BOUNDARY TO SHIFT FURTHER EAST MON INTO TUE...AND EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NE MEXICO BY LATE MON. HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND THE FRONT FROM THE CAROLINAS THROUGH THE N CENTRAL GULF TUE...ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER THE EASTERN GULF WATERS THROUGH MID WEEK. CARIBBEAN... HIGH PRES NORTH OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH MON...WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 25 KT NEAR THE COLOMBIAN COAST. NE SWELL UP TO 12 FT WITH PERIODS TO 13 SECONDS CONTINUES TO PUSH THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. WINDS DIMINISH SLIGHTLY ON TUE...AS THE HIGH PRES TO THE NORTH WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. THE LARGE SWELL DECAY AS WELL THROUGH MONDAY...ALLOWING SEAS TO SUBSIDE BELOW 8 FT FOR THE ENTIRE BASIN BY MIDWEEK. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRES EXTENDING ALONG ROUGHLY 28N IS MAINTAINING A BROAD SWATH OF MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS MAINLY S OF 24N. BUOY OBSERVATIONS AND QUIKSCAT DATA FROM 23Z SHOW 15 TO 20 KT FROM NORTH OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO EAST OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. BUOY 41046 E OF THE BAHAMAS WAS REPORTING SWELL UP TO 8 FT WITH PERIODS TO 13 SECONDS...INDICATIVE OF PERSISTENT NE SWELL GROUPS PUSHING THROUGH THE AREA...FROM A LOW IN THE CENTRAL ATLC. LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED THROUGH MON. BY TUESDAY...THE HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS AND SHIFTS SE...AHEAD OF A MID/UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH DIGGING THROUGH THE CAROLINAS...WITH AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT PUSHING OFF THE GEORGIA COAST BY LATE MONDAY. THE FRONT EXTENDS FROM ROUGHLY BERMUDA TO CENTRAL FLORIDA BY TUE...WITH 20 TO 25 KT NORTHERLY WINDS FOLLOWING NORTH OF THE FRONT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OFF THE ATLANTIC COAST. THE FRONT GRADUALLY STALLS AND DISSIPATES ALONG ROUGHLY 24N WED INTO THU...WITH WINDS DIMINISHING N OF THE FRONT AS THE HIGH PRES DRIFTS EAST. WHILE THE CURRENT NE SWELL GROUPS FINALLY ABATE THROUGH MONDAY...A NEW ROUND OF NORTHERLY SWELL ASSOCIATED WITH WINDS N OF THE FRONT INVADES THE AREA FROM THE BAHAMAS TO THE LEEWARD ISLANDS WED THROUGH THU. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.