000 AGXX40 KNHC 211935 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM 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 HAVE ENDED ACROSS ALMOST ALL OF THE GULF...WITH SOME NNE FLOW 15-20 KT LINGERING ACROSS THE FAR SE GULF AND WRN STRAITS OF FLORIDA...WHERE HIGHEST SEAS IN THE BASIN...AT 5-6 FT...WERE OCCURRING. A 1026 MB HIGH WAS LOCATED ALONG THE SE LOUISIANA COASTLINE AND WILL SLIDE E THROUGH MID WEEK ALLOWING A RETURN FLOW TO SET UP ACROSS THE W GULF BY TUE AFTERNOON AND GRADUALLY SPREAD E TO THE ENTIRE BASIN OVERNIGHT WED. GUIDANCE INDICATES SLY WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE WITH BUILDING SEAS OF 11-12 FT OVER THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE GULF. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST OVERNIGHT WED WITH ANOTHER BLAST OF COOL AIR ACROSS THE W AND NW THU AND 25-30 KT WINDS FUNNELING S ACROSS THE FAR WRN GULF BEHIND THE FRONT. CURRENTLY...GUIDANCE INDICATES NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THIS FRONT AND GALES MAY BE ISSUED IF GUIDANCE REMAINS CONSISTENT IN FUTURE FORECASTS. CARIBBEAN AND SW N ATLC W OF 55W... WEAKENING FRONT FROM CENTRAL ATLC TO N COAST OF HISPANIOLA THEN SOMEWHAT DIFFUSE TO JAMAICA...AND THEN DRIFTING SLOWLY W ACROSS THE WRN CARIB FROM 18N80W TO THE SE COAST OF COSTA RICA...AND LIKELY ACROSS THE PENINSULA AND INTO THE EPAC. HIGH AMPLITUDE DEEP LAYERED TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE W GULF AND INTO THE TROPICAL EPAC ALONG 95W WILL HAS BEGUN TO INTERACT WITH THIS FRONTAL ZONE AND HELP TO INDUCE A WAVE OR LOW ALONG THE DOUBLE POINT IN THE NW CARIB NEXT 24 HOURS. ABUNDANT TROPICAL MOISTURE WILL ALSO PASS ACROSS CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE W AND NW CARIBBEAN FOR WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND TSTMS AND POTENTIAL FOR VERY GUSTY WINDS AND MODERATELY SEVERE TSTMS. THE E TO W PORTION OF THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT N AS A WARM FRONT TONIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT....WHILE THE N TO S ALIGNED PORTION WILL DRIFT W TO THE FAR WRN CARIB...AND ALLOW A WAVE/LOW TO DEVELOP NEAR 17N83W MON EVENING THAT WILL RIDE NNE TO JUST W OF JAMAICA BY TUE EVENING. STRONG GRADIENT FLOW WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF THIS MEANDERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL INDUCE 25-30 KT WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS 9-12+ FT...AND POTENTIALLY HIGHER SEAS AND VERY STEEP AND DANGEROUS WAVES ACROSS THE SRN BAHAMAS TO THE NE COAST OF CUBA. A BROADER FIELD OF 20-25 KT WINDS WILL ENVELOP THE REST OF THE BAHAMAS...THROUGH THE STRAITS...AND MUCH OF THE NW CARIB...WHERE 6-9 FT SEAS SHOULD BE EXPECTED. OTHERWISE...MODERATE E-SE TRADE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE E PORTION OF THE CARIBBEAN...WITH 20 KT AND 6-7 FT SEAS ALONG THE SRN CORRIDOR S OF 14N. REINFORCING FRONTAL BOUNDARIES CONTINUE TO SWEEP ACROSS THE ATLC...INCHING FARTHER AND FARTHER SE...WITH ADDITIONAL PULSES OF NWLY SWELL MOVING THROUGH THE ATLC...AND W TO NW WINDS OF 20-30 KT PREVAILING N OF 26N AND OF 70W ATTM. THE LATEST PULSE OF LARGE NW SWELL HAS REACHED THE TROPICAL ATLC E OF THE CARIBBEAN EXTENDING TO NW AFRICA...WITH THE NEXT PULSE NOW BUILDING OVER THE W/NW ATLC...AND WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE OFFSHORE AREA IN THE NEXT 48 HOURS RAISING SEAS TO IN EXCESS OF 20 FT ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC N OF 25N TUE EVENING. NO MAJOR CHANGE IN THIS RECENT PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. 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 STRIPLING