000 AGXX40 KNHC 280756 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT TUE APR 28 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STEADY FRESH TO STRONG E-SE FLOW CONTINUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF AS A RESULT OF WELL ANCHORED 1032 MB HIGH PRES CENTER AT 33N73W AND ASSOCIATED W TO E RIDGE. FUNNELING OF NEAR GALE FORCE ELY WINDS ACROSS THE BAHAMAS AND THROUGH THE FLORIDA STRAITS HAS PERSISTED DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE FLORIDA CURRENT...PRODUCING MUCH HIGHER AND STEEPER SEAS THAN ARE TYPICAL...AND WELL ABOVE WW3 MODEL GUIDANCE. WINDS AND SEAS THROUGH THE STRAITS AND INTO THE EXTREME SE GULF CONTINUE ENE AT 25-30 KT WITH PEAK SEAS WITHIN THE CORE OF THE CURRENT LIKELY RUNNING 12-14 FT...STILL. EVENING SCATTEROMETER PASSES SUGGESTED 20-25 KT FLOW THROUGH MOST OF THE S HALF OF THE GULF THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...WITH SEAS 7 TO 9 FT OUTSIDE OF THE STRAITS. HIGH PRES WILL FINALLY WEAKEN TUE NIGHT AND WED THEN DRIFT E...RELAXING THE GRADIENT OVER ALL BASINS AND ALLOWING WINDS TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO APPROACH CENTRAL TEXAS VERY LATE IN FORECAST PERIOD...INDUCING AN INCREASING SE RETURN FLOW W OF 95W. SW N ATLC... 1032 MB HIGH N OF AREA CONTINUES TO FORCE A BROAD SWATH OF 20-30 KT NE-E WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN S OF 26N-27N AND W OF 60W... FUNNELING THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND INTO THE SE GULF... AS WELL AS WINDWARD PASSAGE. THIS LONG ENE-WSW FETCH CONTINUES TO SPREAD MODERATE PERIOD WIND SWELL INTO THE BAHAMAS AND GREATER ANTILLES... PRODUCING VERY ROUGH AND STEEP SEAS UPWIND AND THROUGH THE PASSAGES BETWEEN THE ISLANDS. PEAK SEAS AROUND 12 FT ARE OCCURRING JUST OFFSHORE OF THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE THE HIGH PRES WEAKENING AND MOVING E LATE TUE THROUGH THU...HENCE RELAXING THE PRES GRADIENT AND DIMINISHING THE WINDS. SUBSIDING SEAS WILL FOLLOW CLOSELY. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... THE SW N ATLC HIGH POSITIONED DUE N OF SEMIPERMANENT LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN A TIGHT GRADIENT ACROSS THE REGION. THE LOW PRES IS FORECAST TO FILL SLOWLY AND THE HIGH PRES TO SLOWLY WEAKEN AND DRIFT E...RESULTING IN THE STRONG EASTERLY TRADES ACROSS TROPICAL ATLC AND CARIBBEAN BASINS TO DIMINISH TONIGHT THROUGH FRI AND SAT. ALTHOUGH THIS WILL IMPROVE CONDITIONS SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...THE SHIFT OF THE ATLC RIDGE TO THE NE WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLC...AND ASSOCIATED MODERATE NELY SWELL THROUGHOUT THE WEEK. ATLC... .NONE.. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FORECASTER STRIPLING. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.