000 AGXX40 KNHC 031945 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 345 PM EDT FRI APR 03 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. UPPER LEVELS... MODERATE WEST-SOUTHWESTERLIES ARE NORTH OF 25N WEST OF 72W. MODERATE WESTERLIES WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. THE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY WHEN A STRONG TROUGH WILL BEGIN TO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. BY EARLY TUESDAY STRONG WESTERLIES WILL BE NORTH OF 24N FROM 75W TO 92W WITH THE SHORTWAVE AXIS ALONG 83W. THE SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE EAST WITH THE AXIS ALONG 75W WEDNESDAY. THE TROUGH WILL WEAKEN SOME BUT EXTEND FURTHER SOUTH TO NORTH OF 20N ON WEDNESDAY WITH CONTINUING STRONG WESTERLIES NORTH OF 25N. ELSEWHERE BROAD RIDGE WILL PREVAIL. SURFACE... A WEAKENING COLD FRONT EXTENDS THROUGH 31N76W TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN SOUTH OF 25N BUT NORTH OF 25N IT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND PASS EAST OF BERMUDA LATE SATURDAY. A WEAK HIGH WILL BE BEHIND THE FRONT WITH LIGHT WINDS UNTIL THE EFFECT OF THE NEXT FRONTAL TROUGH INCREASES THE WINDS IN THE WEST GULF OF MEXICO BEGINNING FRIDAY. SINCE THE HIGH WAS SO WEAK THE RETURN FLOW IS NOT VERY STRONG BEING 20 KNOTS OR LESS. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY SUNDAY. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES EAST THE DEVELOPING UPPER TROUGH WILL INTENSIFY THE SURFACE FRONTAL TROUGH AS IT MOVES OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO. BY EARLY MONDAY THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM NORTH FLORIDA TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WITH WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT REMAINING JUST BELOW GALE FORCE. THE WINDS WILL THEN DECREASE IN THE GULF AS THE HIGH MOVES OVER THE WESTERN GULF TUESDAY. AS THE FRONT MOVES TOWARD THE ATLANTIC THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS MOSTLY NORTH OF 25N WILL INCREASE TO NEAR GALE FORCE ALONG 31N. WEST OF THE FRONT WINDS WILL BE NEAR 30 KNOTS BUT WITH THE VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT THE WINDS WILL BE GUSTY WITH SOME GUSTS REACHING GALE FORCE. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE EARLY WEDNESDAY AND BY LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH 28N65W TO HISPANIOLA. ALSO ON WEDNESDAY RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW IN THE WESTERN GULF WILL BEGIN AND INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 KNOTS DUE TO THE STRONG TROUGH OVER TEXAS AND THE HIGH BEHIND THE PREVIOUS FRONT. IN THE CARIBBEAN THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVER THE YUCATAN CHANNEL MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN BUT THE NORTHERLY WINDS SHOULD REMAIN 20 KNOTS OR LESS AND ONLY AFFECT THE GULF NORTH OF 15N WEST OF 80W TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY AS THE FRONT DISSIPATES IN THE CARIBBEAN WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE THE TRADES ARE LESS THAN NORMAL. ATLC... NONE. CARIBBEAN... NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. FORECASTER LL. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.