000 AGXX40 KNHC 031908 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 PM EST SUN JAN 3 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES WILL DOMINATE THE GULF REGION DURING MOST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH ASCAT...AND MARINE PLATFORMS INDICATING MODERATE TO FRESH BREEZE PREVAILING. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM IN THE SW GULF SUN NIGHT WHICH WILL INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RESULTING IN A SURGE OF WINDS WITH STRONG N BREEZE ACROSS THE W GULF...AND FRESH TO STRONG BREEZE ACROSS THE E GULF MON THROUGH TUE MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH WED BEFORE RETURN FLOW INCREASES ACROSS THE W GULF ON WED NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST THU MORNING. GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE 30 TO 40 KT RANGE AND BUILDING SEAS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT OVER THE WESTERN GULF. NOAA WAVE WATCH III GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT SEAS WILL BUILD TO 18 OR 19 FT OVER THE SW GULF FRI MORNING. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM E CUBA TO CENTRAL HONDURAS. ASCAT AND SURFACE DATA INDICATE MODERATE TO FRESH BREEZE ACROSS THE E CARIBBEAN WITH FRESH TO STRONG BREEZE ACROSS THE W CARIBBEAN... WITH HIGHEST WINDS JUST OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SURGE OF N WINDS WILL PUSH THE STATIONARY FRONT E TUE TO EXTEND FROM HAITI TO COSTA RICA. STRONG N TO NE WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT CAN BE FOUND W OF THE FRONT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN WITH SEAS IN THE 8 TO 11 FT RANGE. SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC WATERS THROUGH SUN NIGHT BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND OF LONG PERIOD SWELLS PROPAGATES S ACROSS THE REGION ON MON. THESE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL SPREAD INTO THE CARIBBEAN WATERS THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... THE GALE WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT BEHIND THE COLD FRONT HAS BEEN CANCELED BASED ON SURFACE DATA AN ASCAT PASS FROM AROUND 1430 UTC. LATEST OBSERVATIONS FROM BERMUDA AND BUOY 41001 LOCATED N OF AREA INDICATE WINDS BELOW GALE FORCE OF 25 TO 30 KT. THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 25N65W ACROSS NORTHERN HISPANIOLA TO E CUBA. A SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SHIFT OFF THE E COAST OF THE US MON NIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN NEAR GALE CONDITIONS N OF 25N ON TUE...WHICH SHIFT E OF THE AREA TUE NIGHT. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THROUGH THU AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION. NW SWELLS GENERATED BEHIND THE FRONT WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THROUGH TUE. ANOTHER ROUND OF LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL BE GENERATED TUE AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN WINDS FROM THE SURGE OF COLD AIR. THESE SWELLS WILL THEN GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THROUGH THU. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/AL