000
AGXX40 KNHC 261841
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION        
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
300 PM EDT SUN APR 26 2009
 
MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W.

GULF OF MEXICO...
STRONG RIDGE EXTENDING ALONG 30N FROM 1032 MB HIGH PRES OVER SW N
ATLC MAINTAINS STEADY E-SE FLOW ACROSS ENTIRE GULF THROUGH 
FORECAST PERIOD.  SHIP...ALTIMETER AND SATELLITE WIND REPORTS 
INDICATE 25-30 KT WINDS BLOWING DIRECTLY AGAINST FLORIDA CURRENT 
...INDUCING HIGHER AND STEEPER WAVES UP TO 14 FT AND POSSIBLY 
HIGHER THAN WW3 GUIDANCE IS WILLING TO ADMIT...IT CONTINUES WITH 
A 7-9 FT RANGE SOLUTION...DESPITE HIGHER SEAS REPORTED FOR LAST 
THREE DAYS.  FORECAST LEANS TO REPORTED SEA CONDITIONS WHICH 
SEEM MORE REASONABLE.  RIDGE FORECAST TO WEAKEN BY TUE AND WED 
ALLOWING FOR WIND TO DIMINISH AND SEAS SUBSIDE.  
 
SW N ATLC...
WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT OVER ATLC FROM 31N53N TO 23N69W THEN 
CONTINUES TO SE BAHAMAS AS SHEAR AXIS...WITH SCATTERED MODERATE 
CONVECTION ALONG AXIS.  HIGH PRES 1032 MB JUST N OF 31N FORCES  
SWATH OF 20-30 KT NE-E WINDS ACROSS BASIN...FUNNELING THROUGH 
STRAITS OF FLORIDA INTO SE GULF...AS WELL AS WINDWARD PASSAGE.  
STRONG WINDS EXTENDS 360 NM NW OF SHEAR LINE AND THROUGH BAHAMAS 
INTO STRAITS OF FLORIDA.  HIGHEST SEAS OUTSIDE OF STRAITS OF 
FLORIDA OCCURRING JUST E OF CENTRAL BAHAMAS...TO 10 FT IN 
MODERATE PERIOD WIND SWELL...AND PRODUCING VERY ROUGH AND STEEP 
SEAS IN PASSAGES BETWEEN ISLANDS.  WW3 GUIDANCE LAGS WELL BEHIND 
SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SHIP REPORTS.  BROAD AND ELONGATED FETCH OF 
STRONG WINDS FINALLY INDICATING SIGNS OF DIMINISHING AFTER TUE 
WHEN HIGH PRES STARTS DRIFTING NE AND WEAKENING TO 1026 MB. 
GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT OF MARINE CONDITIONS ACROSS SW N ATLC AND 
BAHAMAS WED THROUGH FRI.

CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...
HEALTHY GRADIENT BETWEEN ATLC HIGH PRES 1032 MB AND COLOMBIAN 
1010 MB LOW PRES CONTINUES TO FORCE STRONG EASTERLY TRADES 
ACROSS TROPICAL ATLC AND CARIBBEAN BASINS...TOPPING 30 KT ALONG 
COAST OF COLOMBIA.  LITTLE CHANGE IN PATTERN EXPECTED THROUGH 
LATE MONDAY BEFORE WEAKENING RIDGE ALLOWS FOR RELAXATION OF 
GRADIENT...HENCE WINDS.  SEAS BUILD TO 9 FT ACROSS E CARIBBEAN 
BY EARLY TUE AND TO 11 FT WRN CARIB...AND UP TO 13 FT OFF COAST 
OF COLOMBIA.  TROPICAL ATLC SEAS CONTINUE TO BUILD THROUGH MON 
AS LONG FETCH OF E-NE TRADE WINDS PERSISTS WELL UPSTREAM. 

ATLC...
.NONE.. 

CARIBBEAN...
.NONE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
.NONE.

FORECASTER WALLY BARNES. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.