000 AGXX40 KNHC 230725 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 325 AM EDT THU APR 23 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE RIDGE CONTINUES TO AMPLIFY AND MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE SE CONUS AND GULF REGION WITH AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE HIGH AND RIDGE TRANSLATING EASTWARD ACROSS THE N GULF. LIGHT AND VARIABLE SURFACE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF NEAR THIS SURFACE HIGH AND RIDGE TODAY. THE SURFACE HIGH IS FORECAST TO HAVE MOVED E OF THE GULF BY FRI...WITH SE RETURN FLOW INCREASING OVER THE GULF BY FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEK. FOR FRIDAY INTO THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK...A LARGE AREA OF 20-25 KT WINDS WILL AFFECT THE GULF REGION. THESE WINDS WILL BUILD SEAS TO 6 TO 8 FT BY SAT ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND WEST GULF...WITH SEAS UP TO 9 FT ACROSS THE NW GULF BY SUN WHERE FETCH LENGTH WILL BE MAXIMIZED. AN AREA OF 10-11 FT SEAS WILL BE FOUND OVER SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE AND E GULF... INCLUDING THE FLORIDA STRAITS...WHERE PERSISTENTLY STRONGER E WINDS OF 25 KT WILL BROADLY FUNNEL BETWEEN THE FLORIDA PENINSULA AND CUBA WILL MORE EFFICIENTLY BUILD SEAS. SW N ATLC... A DEEP LAYER TROUGH OVER THE W ATLC IS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM 31N67W TO 25N71W EXTENDING FURTHER SW TO NW CUBA AS A STATIONARY FRONT...AND A SECONDARY COLD FRONT THAT EXTENDS FROM 31N70W TO 28N72W. THE DEEP LAYER TROUGH CONTINUES TO LIFT NE AWAY FROM THE DISCUSSION AREA AS THE ASSOCIATED UPPER LEVEL JET MAXIMUM HAS MOVED E OF THE TROUGH AXIS. CORRESPONDINGLY...THE FRONTS CONTINUE TO WEAKEN...WITH THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WINDS NEAR THE FRONTS GENERALLY UNDER 20 KT. SHIP OBSERVATIONS AND WAVEWATCH OUTPUT INDICATE WESTERLY SWELL UP TO 9 FT FOLLOWING THE SECONDARY COLD FRONT. HOWEVER...WAVES IN THIS SWELL WILL FALL BELOW 8 FT TODAY AS THE WIND FIELD IN THE WAKE OF THE SECONDARY FRONT CONTINUES DIMINISHING. STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE W ATLC AND SE CONUS BY LATE WEEK WILL INCREASE NE TO E WINDS TO 20 TO 25 KT ACROSS AREAS S OF 28N...INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS. THESE WINDS WILL BUILD SEAS TO 6 TO 9 FT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL AFFECT MUCH OF THE AREA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. A COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL ATLC AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SE CONUS AND SW NORTH ATLC WILL FOCUS THE STRONGEST TRADES OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH WINDS INCREASING THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE INTO SAT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...WHERE THEY WILL REACH 30 KT THROUGH EARLY SAT. WHILE SLIGHTLY STRONGER WINDS COULD PERIODICALLY OCCUR NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...GALE FORCE WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME DUE TO RELATIVELY WEAK LAPSE RATES BETWEEN THE SURFACE AND STRONGER WINDS ALOFT. THE TRADES WILL BUILD WAVES TO AT LEAST 8 FT S OF 15N...WITH SEAS OF 9-13 FT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. ATLC... .NONE.. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FORECASTER COHEN. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.