000 AGXX40 KNHC 311918 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 PM EST THU DEC 31 2009 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A STALLING FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR PENSACOLA FLORIDA TO TAMPICO MEXICO. A SURGE OF COLD AIR...TECHNICALLY A SECOND COLD FRONT...WILL PUSH OFF THE TEXAS COAST THIS EVENING AN REINFORCE THE STALLED FRONT. THE COLDER AIR WILL PUSH DOWN THE MEXICAN COAST...SETTING THE STAGE FOR GALE FORCE WINDS EARLY FRI MORNING ALONG THE MEXICAN COAST S OF 23N W OF 95W. THE REINFORCED FRONT WILL PUSH SE...CLEARING THE GULF WATERS BY LATE FRI. SEAS WILL BUILD MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN GULF WHERE WINDS ARE HIGHEST...REACHING 12 FT IN THE SW GULF. NORTHERLY SWELL WILL LINGER FRI AND DECAY SAT OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF WATERS. WINDS DIMINISH SAT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE DEEP SOUTH STATES. ANOTHER SURGE OF COLDER AIR WILL PUSH OVER THE NE GULF LATE SUN INTO MON...INITIATING A NEW ROUND OF FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS ACROSS THE GULF MON INTO TUE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES OVER THE WESTERN ATLC IS MAINTAINING FRESH TO STRONG FLOW OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. AN ASCAT PASS FROM 14Z SHOWED 20 TO 25 KT NE WINDS S OF OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...IN AGREEMENT WITH SHIP OBSERVATIONS IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. WINDS OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN REMAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE. FURTHER EAST...A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT IS STALLING E OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ALONG 17N/18N. WINDS WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH FRI AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND SHIFT EAST IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. THIS FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN LATE FRI...AND STALLING FROM SW HAITI TO EASTERN HONDURAS BY SUN. FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THIS FRONT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN SAT AND SUN. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR SUN INTO MON WILL ALLOW THESE WINDS TO INCREASE AND PUSH THE FRONT DOWN THE NICARAGUAN COAST TUE. MEANWHILE...LONG PERIOD NORTHERLY SWELL OF UP TO 12 FT CONTINUES TO PUSH INTO THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS EAST OF THE ISLANDS...AS WELL AS THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... 1029 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES IS CENTERED BETWEEN THE CAROLINAS AND BERMUDA. AN ASCAT PASS FROM 15Z IS SHOWING SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT OVER THE WATERS E OF N FLORIDA AND N OF BERMUDA...BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND A LOW PRES CENTER MOVING FROM MOBILE BAY TO OFF CAPE HATTERAS. AN ACCOMPANYING COLD FRONT WILL PUSH OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST EARLY FRI...REACHING A POSITION FROM 31N75W TO THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COAST BY MIDDAY FRI. THE AREA OF 20 TO 25 KT SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL EXPAND EASTWARD N OF 25N THROUGH FRI...WITH 20 TO 25 KT NW WINDS FOLLOWING THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL SWEEP SE TO JUST N OF PUERTO RICO BY SUN. LONG PERIOD N SWELL WITH HEIGHTS OF 8 TO 12 FT MAINLY E OF 70W DECAY THROUGH FRI...BUT BE FOLLOWED BY A NEW ROUND OF NW SWELL FOLLOWING THE FRONT SAT. NW WINDS INCREASE AGAIN MON INTO TUE OVER THE WATERS N OF THE BAHAMAS AS A NEW ROUND OF COLD AIR PUSHES OFF THE COAST. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE WARNING FRI THROUGH FRI NIGHT N OF 28N AHEAD OF FRONT. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ082...GALE WARNING LATE TONIGHT AND FRI S OF 23N W OF 95W... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN