000 AGXX40 KNHC 300755 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT THU APR 30 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... WITH THE SIGNIFICANT WEAKENING OF THE W ATLC RIDGE DURING THE PAST 48 HOURS...WINDS HAVE DIMINISHED TO 15-20 KT ACROSS MOST OF THE GULF...WITH 5-15 KT FLOW ACROSS THE NE THIRD...AND POCKETS OF 20-25 KT THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA...ACROSS THE N AND NW COAST OF THE YUCATAN...AND NEAR THE LOWER TEXAS COAST AHEAD OF DEEP LAYERED TROUGHING AND SEVERAL MCC'S EDGING EWD INTO S AND SERN TEXAS. STRONG INFLOW INTO THESE TSTORMS WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGHOUT THE NEXT 6-8 HOURS TO MAINTAIN THESE WINDS ALONG THE TEXAS COASTAL WATERS. ATLC RIDGE WILL REFORM BY FRI ACROSS THE W ATLC...NE OF BERMUDA...AND EXTEND SW INTO THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. THIS WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TO FRESH SELY FLOW ACROSS THE S AND W GULF...WITH BROADER AREAS OF 20-25 KT FLOW POSSIBLE SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...WHERE SEAS COULD PEAK NEAR 8 FT. ELY FLOW AGAINST THE FLORIDA CURRENT THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL MAINTAIN STEEP WAVES IN THE CURRENT...WITH A 20 KT WIND FLOW EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN 8-10 FT SEAS THERE. SW N ATLC... ALTHOUGH THE RIDGE AND HIGH HAVE WEAKENED...NOW WITH A 1027 MB HIGH AT 34N71W...A BROAD SWATH OF 20 KT NE-E WINDS CONTINUES ACROSS THE BASIN S OF 26N AND W OF 67W...WITH POCKETS OF 25 KT FUNNELING THROUGH STRAITS OF FLORIDA INTO SE GULF...AND BETWEEN THE SRN BAHAMAS AND CUBA. THE AREAL EXTENT OF THIS ZONE OF NE-E 20 KT WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO SHRINK THROUGH THE WEEKEND...AND IS EXPECTED TO BE CONFINED S OF 23N AND W OF 68W EXTENDING THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA TODAY AND SAT. ALL THIS LEADING TO A DECREASING TREND IN WIND AND SEAS THROUGH SUNDAY. A LOW LEVEL TROUGH INDUCED BY LINGERING MID TO UPPER TROUGHING ACROSS THE OPEN SW N ATLC IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE NE CARIB AND ADJACENT ATLC MON AND THEN CONTINUE WWD INTO MID WEEK. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY INCREASING ELY FLOW OF 20-25 KT AND SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION...YIELDING GUSTY WINDS IN SQUALLS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... SIMILARLY TO ABOVE BASINS...THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC ARE EXPERIENCING DIMINISHING EASTERLY FLOW DUE TO THE WEAKENED ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE....WITH STRONGEST FLOW OF 20-25 KT CURRENTLY FOUND IN THE SRN CARIB WHERE IT IS MORE TYPICAL. SEAS ARE RESPONDING ACCORDINGLY WITH SLOWLY DIMINISHING NELY WIND SWELL AT AROUND 8 SECONDS AFFECTING THE REGION S OF 22N. LITTLE CHANGE IN THIS PATTERN OF MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS IS EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. HOWEVER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...A LOW LEVEL TROUGH MENTIONED ABOVE WILL MOVE W ACROSS THE NE AND E CARIB...REACHING 70W ON TUE. 20-25 KT ELY WINDS...WITH BUILDING SEAS...AND ACTIVE WEATHER ARE EXPECTED WITH AND BEHIND THIS FEATURE...WITH SQUALLY CONDITIONS LIKELY. ATLC... .NONE.. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FORECASTER STRIPLING. TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER.