000 AGXX40 KNHC 231831 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 PM EST WED DEC 23 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... BUOY REPORTS INDICATE SE WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KT ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF THIS MORNING...WITH SOME AREAS IN THE FAR WESTERN GULF SEEING WINDS AS HIGH AS 25 KT. THE WINDS ARE INCREASING IN ADVANCE OF A DEEPENING LOW PRES AREA MOVING FROM W TEXAS THROUGH THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST INTO THE NW GULF TOMORROW MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT AND STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL DELIVER NW WINDS APPROACHING GALE FORCE IN THE OFFSHORE WATERS IN THE NW GULF THROUGH MIDDAY THU. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE EAST THROUGH THU NIGHT AND FRI...ALTHOUGH SLOWING DOWN AS THE MAIN MID TO UPPER SUPPORT LIFTS OUT TO THE GREAT LAKES. THE FRONT EVENTUALLY SAGS SE OF THE AREA BY EARLY SAT. FRESH WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH INTO FRI OVER THE NORTHERN GULF...WITH 20 KT NE WINDS PERSISTING OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8 TO 11 FT THROUGH TONIGHT OVER PRIMARILY THE NW GULF...IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE STRONG WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT...THEN SUBSIDE TO BELOW 8 FT THROUGH FRI AFTERNOON ACROSS THE GULF. WEAK LOW PRES WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FAR SW GULF SUN INTO MON. NE TO E WINDS WILL INCREASE BY MON OVER THE GULF BETWEEN THE WEAK TROUGH...AND HIGH PRES BUILDING N OF THE AREA. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A 1007 MB LOW PRES AREA CENTERED OFF SW HAITI WILL PUSH NNE THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS TO UP TO 30 KT NEAR THE LOW OVER THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THE EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES N. FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN ARE CONVERGING INTO THE LOW PRES. THE LOW PRES WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTH OF HISPANIOLA BY EARLY THU...AND NE OF PUERTO RICO BY EARLY FRI. 20 KT SE WINDS WILL PERSIST OVER THE FAR EASTERN CARIBBEAN THROUGH LATE THU...BUT CONTINUE TO DIMINISH ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN. N SWELL WILL START TO PUSH INTO THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES SUN...WITH WAVE HEIGHTS TO 8 FT AND PERIOD TO 12 SECONDS. A SECOND SET WILL FOLLOW MON INTO TUE...REACHING 9 FT WITH 14 SECOND PERIODS. OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN...A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTH THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL SAT...THEN STALL AND DISSIPATE FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO SOUTHERN YUCATAN BY LATE SUN...WITH NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON LOCAL WEATHER. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 21N55W TO NW HAITI. AN ASCAT PASS FROM 16Z ALONG WITH SHIP AND BUOY REPORTS SHOW TRADE WINDS INCREASING IN A BROAD SWATH N OF THE STATIONARY FRONT TO 25N. THE WINDS AREA INCREASING AHEAD OF A DEEPENING 1007 MB LOW PRES AREA MOVING NORTH INTO THE REGION FROM THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. THE LOW WILL REACH A POSITION NEAR 22N71W BY EARLY THU...THEN SHIFT EASTWARD TO 21N64W BY EARLY FRI AS A COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE CENTRAL ATLC SE OF BERMUDA. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD BEHIND THE FRONT BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA FRI...WITH A BROAD ARC OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ON ITS PERIPHERY FROM BERMUDA TO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS. SE TO S WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE WATERS N OF THE BAHAMAS AS WELL...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF N FLORIDA COAST FRI AFTERNOON. A NEW ROUND OF NORTHERLY SWELL WITH HEIGHTS RANGING FROM 8 TO 16 FT WILL PUSH INTO THE AREA THU INTO FRI. STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT AS IT TRAVERSES THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA THROUGH LATE SUN. THE FRONT REACH A POSITION FROM 31N76W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY SAT NIGHT...AND FROM BERMUDA TO EASTERN CUBA BY SUN NIGHT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER EC