000 AGXX40 KNHC 271946 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 345 PM EDT FRI MAR 27 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... BROAD AREA OF 20 KT FLOW OUT OF THE SE PERSISTS ACROSS THE GULF WATERS...BETWEEN HIGH PRES OVER THE WESTERN ATLC AND A COLD FRONT MOVING EAST THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST TONIGHT...DELIVERING GALE FORCE WINDS TO THE FAR WESTERN GULF OVERNIGHT INTO SAT W OF THE FRONT...AND STRONG NW FLOW ELSEWHERE THROUGH SAT. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH STATES AND NORTHERN GULF. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASES LATE SUN INTO MON OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT SLOWLY MOVING INTO TEXAS. THE FRONT STALLS AND WEAKENS TUE AND WED NW OF THE AREA...LEAVING MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER MOSTLY THE CENTRAL GULF INTO MIDWEEK. CARIBBEAN... MAIN ISSUE THIS MORNING CONCERNED GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN WHERE SE FLOW AROUND 2O TO 25 KT SPIKED UP TO 35 KT N OF HONDURAS TO THE EAST OF ROATAN...AS NOTED ON HIGH RESOLUTION QUIKSCAT DATA AND LOCAL SHIP OBSERVATIONS. AN ASCAT PASS THIS AFTERNOON INDICATES THAT THIS FLOW IS GENERALLY 20 TO 30 KT CURRENTLY. ELSEWHERE 15 TO 20 KT TRADES DOMINATE ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...WITH WINDS TO 25 KT OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST. THE NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN WILL PERSIST INTO SAT...THEN DIMINISH INTO SUN AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE GULF INTO THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN SUN INTO MON. TRADES DIMINISH SLIGHTLY ELSEWHERE AS HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EASTWARD. ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES IS CENTERED NEAR 31N67W...WITH A SWATH OF 20 KT S TO SE WINDS RUNNING ALONG THE BAHAMAS AND JUST OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST. THESE WINDS INCREASE BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA THROUGH SAT...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST LATE SAT NIGHT. WINDS TO 30 KT ARE LIKELY AHEAD OF THE FRONT N OF 28N SUN. THE FRONT REACHES A POSITION FROM BERMUDA TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY EARLY MON AS IT WEAKENS. THE FRONT BECOMES ORIENTED MORE E TO W ON TUE...DISSIPATING ALONG ROUGHLY 27N...WITH WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISHING INTO WED. ATLANTIC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... GMZ080 AND GMZ082...GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SAT. FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.