000 AGXX40 KNHC 041923 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EST MON JAN 4 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN A STRONG SFC HIGH PRES OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS OF US AND A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE SW GULF IS RESULTING IN A WIND SURGE OF 20 TO 30 KT ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF. N WINDS OF 20 KT ARE BLOWING E OF 90W. WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH WED AS HIGH PRES SETTLES OVER SE LOUISIANA. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE W GULF ON WED NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY THU MORNING. GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE 30 TO 35 KT RANGE AND BUILDING SEAS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT OVER THE WESTERN GULF...WITH STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE NLY WINDS OVER THE EASTERN GULF. NOAA WAVE WATCH III GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT SEAS WILL BUILD TO 16 OR 17 FT OVER THE SW GULF LATE FRI. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM E CUBA TO NE COSTA RICA. NE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THE FRONT BEGINS TO SLOWLY MOVE EWD TO A POSITION FROM 20N72W TO 12N83W TUE MORNING...AND FROM 18N68W TO 12N82W WED MORNING DUE TO A SURGE OF N WINDS. A RECENT WINDSAT PASS ALONG WITH SURFACE DATA REVEALS AN AREA OF ELY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT S OF 15N BETWEEN 65W AND 72W WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA. THE TRADE WINDS WILL INCREASE E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES TUE AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC. A NEW BATCH OF LONG PERIOD SWELLS IS PROPAGATING S ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC. THESE LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL SPREAD INTO THE CARIBBEAN WATERS THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES THROUGH WED. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 21N65W TO E CUBA. A SURGE OF COLD AIR WILL SHIFT OFF THE E COAST OF THE US TONIGHT. THIS WILL RESULT IN NEAR GALE CONDITIONS N OF 25N ON TUE...WHICH WILL SHIFT E OF THE AREA TUE NIGHT. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH THROUGH THU AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ACROSS THE REGION. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE SE COAST OF THE US ON THU NIGHT FOLLOWED BY STRONG W TO NW WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 13 FT. NW SWELLS THAT PREVAILS ACROSS THE REGION WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND OF LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL BE GENERATED TONIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN WINDS FROM THE SURGE OF COLD AIR. THESE SWELLS WILL THEN GRADUALLY SUBSIDE WED THROUGH THU. ANOTHER ROUND OF LONG PERIOD SWELLS WILL BE GENERATED BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THAT SHIFTS OFF THE SE US ON THU NIGHT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 29N BETWEEN 55W AND 60W TUE NIGHT. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED GMZ080-GMZ082-GMZ084 THU. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/AL