000 AGXX40 KNHC 191035 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EST SAT DEC 19 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... DEEP 996 MB SURFACE LOW PRES IS OVER THE SE CONUS. THE ATTENDANT COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE LOW CENTER ACROSS SOUTH FLORIDA AND WESTERN CUBA. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS ARE NOTED OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WITH SEAS OF UP TO 13 FT REPORTED BY NOAA BUOY 42003. WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO DIMINISH ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE GULF DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A WEAK HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST. THE LOW PRES WILL LIFT NE TOWARD THE CAROLINA COAST THROUGH TODAY. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTH GULF WATERS THIS MORNING AND WILL MAINTAIN FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE GULF REGION TODAY. HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SUN...ALLOWING WINDS TO DIMINISH TO 10 TO 15 KT BY SUN NIGHT. THE HIGH PRES SHIFTS INTO THE CAROLINA MON...AS LOW PRES DIGS INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF AS A RESULT STARTING LATE MON...REACHING AT LEAST 25 KT OVER THE W GULF BY WED AS THE DEEPENING LOW MOVES INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS FORECAST BY THE COMPUTER MODELS TO ENTER THE NW PORTION OF THE GULF LATE WED INTO THU FOLLOWED BY STRONG NLY WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... THE LATEST ASCAT PASS SHOWED 20 TO 25 KT TRADES PERSISTING OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THIS WILL DIMINISH TODAY AS HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST AHEAD OF COLD FRONT MOVING ALREADY ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...STALLING MON FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE SW CARIBBEAN. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SE ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND SHOULD REACH PUERTO RICO LATE MON INTO TUE. FRESH TO STRONG N TO NE WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT FROM EASTERN CUBA TO HONDURAS AND NICARAGUA. THE HIGH PRES TO THE NORTH WILL SHIFT SOUTHEAST...TO GENERALLY ALONG 19N NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THIS WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TRADES OVER THE SE CARIBBEAN ALONG THE COAST OF VENEZUELA...AS WELL AS IN THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS E OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN TUE AND WED...ALTHOUGH WILL EXPAND IN COVERAGE OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND TROP N ATLC E OF THE ISLANDS AS HIGH PRES BUILDS TO THE NORTH. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... DEEP LOW PRES OVER THE SE CONUS WILL SHIFT NE TOWARD THE CAROLINA COAST TODAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO EASTERN CUBA THIS EVENING...AND OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA SUN EVENING. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION AS THE LOW PRES DEEPENS...WITH WINDS REACHING GALE FORCE TODAY...BOTH AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND IN THE COLDER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE WATERS N OF 26N. SEAS WILL BUILD TO AS HIGH AS 16 FT IN THE STRONG WINDS AND ASSOCIATED NORTHERLY SWELL IN THE AREA BETWEEN THE BAHAMAS AND BERMUDA THROUGH SUN. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH BY MON AS THE FRONT SHIFTS E OF THE AREA. HIGH PRES BUILDS OFF THE CAROLINA TUE INTO WED...ALLOWING TRADES TO INCREASE MAINLY S OF 25N. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 27N TODAY. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR