000
AGXX40 KNHC 210714
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION  
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
230 AM EST MON DEC 21 2009

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND 
SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W

GULF OF MEXICO...
NLY WINDS HAS DIMINISHED BELOW 20 KT ACROSS THE GULF REGION 
COURTESY OF A 1026 MB HIGH LOCATED OVER SE LOUISIANA. HIGHEST 
SEAS...IN THE 6 TO 7 FT RANGE PERSIST ACROSS THE SE PORTION OF 
THE GULF AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THE SURFACE HIGH PRES WILL 
SHIFT E TO THE FL PANHANDLE TONIGHT...ALLOWING SLY RETURN FLOW 
TO INCREASE W OF 92W THEN SPREADING E TO COVER AREA W OF 85W TUE 
NIGHT. GUIDANCE INDICATES SLY WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE 
WITH BUILDING SEAS OF UP TO 11 FT OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF 
THE GULF. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS 
COAST WED EVENING WITH ANOTHER BLAST OF COOL AIR ACROSS THE W 
AND NW THU. CURRENTLY...GUIDANCE INDICATES NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS 
IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. 
  
CARIBBEAN AND SW N ATLC W OF 55W...
WEAKENING FRONT FROM EASTERN CUBA TO JAMAICA TO THE SW 
CARIBBEAN. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT N AS A WARM FRONT 
TONIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT. THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS SHOWED A 
BROAD AREA OF 25 KT NLY WINDS DIVING BEHIND THE FRONT...BUILDING 
SEAS TO 8 TO 10 FT ACCORDING TO THE NOAA WAVE WATCH III MODEL. 
THE TRADE WINDS DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN REACHING 20 
KT NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. COMPUTER MODEL DEVELOPS A 
LOW PRES NEAR THE TAIL END OF THE FRONT BETWEEN EASTERN CUBA AND 
JAMAICA TUE-WED...AND WILL LIFT THE BOUNDARY N AND NE INDUCING 
VERY ACTIVE WEATHER...AND HEAVY PRECIP. A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT 
BETWEEN A HIGH PRES N OF AREA AND THIS DEVELOPING LOW IS 
EXPECTED TO PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN WINDS AND 
SEAS...FIRST OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND AFTERWARD OVER THE BAHAMAS 
AND THE SW N ATLC WATERS S OF 25N. NW WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT IN 
THE WAKE OF THE FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC CONTINUE 
TO AFFECT THE SW N ATLC PARTICULARLY N OF 27N. THESE CONDITIONS 
WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT EWD TODAY. LARGE AND LONG PERIOD NW SWELL 
CONTINUE TO PROPAGATE ACROSS THE ATLC TOWARDS THE COAST OF SOUTH 
AMERICA E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES...RAISING SEAS TO 11-12 FT. 

OF NOTE...TODAY MARKS THE FIRST DAY OF THE WINTER 2009-2010.  
 
WARNINGS...

ATLC...
.NONE.

CARIBBEAN...
.NONE.

GULF OF MEXICO...
.NONE.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT 
HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE

$$
FORECASTER GR