000 AGXX40 KNHC 250640 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EST FRI DEC 25 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR 30N85W TO 25N87W TO 18N93W...WITH A SECONDARY AND REINFORCING FRONT EXTENDING FROM NEAR 29N91W TO 26N93W. BUOY REPORTS ALONG WITH A 0330 UTC ASCAT PASS CONTINUE TO INDICATE 20 TO 30 KT SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT... WITH 20 TO 30 KT W-NW WINDS OCCURRING POST FROPA. A 0215 UTC JASON ALTIMETER PASS CAPTURED SEAS OF 10 TO 13 FT IN THE CENTRAL GULF PRIMARILY DUE TO NW SWELL. THE COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA SW TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY 00 UTC SAT. HIGH PRES OVER THE GULF COAST STATES BUILDS OVER THE GULF WATERS FRI NIGHT INTO EARLY SAT. GFS AND NAM DEVELOP A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRES AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL TROUGH JUST SE OF THE TEXAS COAST BY SAT AFTERNOON...WITH THE LOW REACHING TO NEAR 27N87W BY 00 UTC MON...WITH A STRENGTHENING COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THE LOW TO 23N94W TO 19N95W. N TO NE WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE WILL OCCUR NW OF THE FRONT/LOW. THESE FEATURES MOVE E-SE OF THE GULF BY 00 UTC TUE...WITH HIGH PRES OVER E TEXAS BUILDING IN OVER THE GULF BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...AND NE TO E WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE OVER THE MAJORITY OF THE GULF DUE TO A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A 1011 MB AREA OF LOW PRES REMAINS N OF HISPANIOLA...AND AS A RESULT A WEAK PRES GRADIENT REMAINS OVER THE BASIN. A COLD FRONT IN THE CENTRAL GULF WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN BY THE AFTERNOON...WITH NORTHERLY WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS FRONT WILL WEAKEN AND EVENTUALLY DISSIPATE BY LATE FRI NIGHT. A WEAK PRES GRADIENT WILL THEN REMAIN OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC...EXCEPT N OF 18N IN THE ATLC WHERE 20 TO 25 KT TRADES WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUN NIGHT. LARGE NW SWELL OF UP TO 15 FT WILL PROPAGATE THROUGH THE TROPICAL N ATLC THROUGH THE PERIOD. MEANWHILE...NE-E WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE ALSO FCST TO OCCUR NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA THROUGH THE FCST PERIOD. THESE WINDS WILL RESULT IN SHORT PERIOD SEAS BUILDING TO 7 FT IN THAT AREA. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A 1011 MB AREA OF LOW PRES NEAR 22N70W WILL DRIFT TO THE E-NE THROUGH THE MORNING...EVENTUALLY BECOMING ABSORBED BY A COLD FRONT MOVING DOWN ACROSS THE SW N ATLC. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRES IS NOSING DOWN S OF 31N AND A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE WATERS. A 0200 UTC ASCAT PASS INDICATED E-SE WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE S OF THE RIDGE. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN AS A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO PUSHES E AND OFFSHORE OF FLORIDA AROUND 00 UTC SAT. SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT WILL OCCUR AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH 15 TO 20 KT NORTHERLY WINDS NW OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY MOVE E ACROSS THE N PORTION OF THE BASIN REACHING FROM NEAR 31N68W TO 25N75W BY 00 UTC MON. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SE OFF THE COAST OF THE CAROLINAS TO S OF 31N BY 12 UTC MON...PUSHING E OF THE AREA ON TUE. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY