000 AGXX40 KNHC 251942 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 345 PM EDT WED MAR 25 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... BUOY...SHIP...AND SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW MAINLY 20 KT FLOW OVER MUCH OF THE GULF THIS AFTERNOON...WITH POCKETS OF 25 KT WINDS IN PARTS OF THE MIDDLE AND WESTERN GULF. THE SE FLOW PERSISTS BETWEEN HIGH PRES OVER THE WESTERN ATLC AND LOW PRES OVER MEXICO...AND THIS PATTERN WILL PERSIST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. MEANWHILE A PAIR SHORT WAVE TROUGHS ARE DIGGING INTO THE BASE OF A BROAD TROUGH OVER THE FRONT RANGE OF THE ROCKIES...AND WILL PROMPT A COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST ON FRIDAY...AND THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO BY EARLY SUNDAY. ONE FORECAST ISSUE WILL BE INCREASED SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER THE NW GULF AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY GALE FORCE NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF ON SAT...DUE TO COLD AIR ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT AS WELL A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG THE COAST AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER TEXAS. WINDS DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE GULF THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE HIGH PRES BUILDS EAST. ANOTHER LOW PRES AREA SHIFTS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS SUN INTO MON...ALLOWING FOR INCREASED SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW OFF THE TEXAS COAST MONDAY. CARIBBEAN... HIGH PRES NE OF THE BAHAMAS IS MAINTAINING A BROAD SWATH OF FRESH TRADES ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN BASIN. SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW AREAS OF 25 KT WINDS OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST...AND THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. A SHIP REPORTED HIGHER WINDS OFF COLOMBIA EARLIER THIS MORNING...HINTING MAXIMUM WINDS TO 30 KT IN THAT AREA. BUOY AND SCATTEROMETER DATA ALSO SHOW 20 KT E TO SE FLOW IN THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN INCLUDING THE GULF OF HONDURAS. THESE WINDS INCREASE FRI AND SAT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO. WINDS DIMINISH ACROSS THE BASIN...PARTICULARLY THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN...AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WHICH WILL PUSH INTO THE FAR NW GULF AND STALL BY SUN. ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT IS PUSHING INTO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS TOWARD PUERTO RICO...AND WILL PUSH SE OF THE AREA BY TONIGHT. THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH A DEEP 985 MB LOW WELL TO THE NORTH OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST. A QUIKSCAT PASS FROM EARLIER THIS MORNING SHOWED WINDS TO 35 KT JUST TO S OF BERMUDA. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN LOW PRES LIFTS OUT TO THE NE ALLOWING THE GRADIENT TO LOOSEN. WINDS WILL SUBSIDE THROUGH LATE FRI...WED THROUGH FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT. SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST FRI INTO SAT AHEAD OF A VIGOROUS FRONT PUSHING OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST BY LATE SAT. THESE WINDS SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA SAT THROUGH SUN. TRADE WIND FLOW FROM THE LEEWARDS TO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS DIMINISHES DURING THIS TIME...AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. GENERALLY LIGHT FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE AREA BY MON AS HIGH PRES STARTS TO REBUILD BEHIND THE FRONT. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.