000 AGXX40 KNHC 070710 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 210 AM EST THU JAN 7 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A 1024 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES AREA IS CENTERED OVER THE SE US. ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS THE GULF WATERS. MARINE PLATFORMS INDICATE THAT SE RETURN FLOW HAS INCREASED TO 15 TO 20 KT ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF. THIS IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY TODAY. WINDS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE GALE FORCE WINDS OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN GULF...PARTICULARLY OFF THE MEXICAN COAST S OF TAMPICO...WITH GALES PERSISTING IN THE FAR SW GULF ALONG THE COAST S OF VERACRUZ FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO SAT. THE FRONT WILL CLEAR THE SE GULF BY LATE FRI OR EARLY SAT...LEAVING STRONG WINDS IN ITS WAKE ACROSS THE GULF SAT...AND SEAS OF UP TO 14 FT OR MORE WITH N SWELL OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM NW TO SE SUN THROUGH MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE GULF COAST...WITH SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDING MON INTO TUE. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A SHEAR LINE REMAINS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN FROM PUERTO RICO TO NEAR WESTERN PANAMA. LATEST ASCAT...WINDSAT...AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PERSIST ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN W OF THE SHEAR LINE. WITH A WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN...MODERATE TO FRESH E TRADEWIND FLOW PREVAILS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE SW N ATLANTIC THROUGH FRI WHICH WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN TRADEWINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PART OF THE BASIN...WHILE DIMINISHING ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN. SEAS BUILD TO AS HIGH AS 12 FT BY FRI OFF THE COLOMBIAN COAST DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS AND EAST SWELL. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL ON SAT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO WESTERN HONDURAS SAT NIGHT...AND SW HAITI TO COSTA RICA BY LATE SUN NIGHT. STRONG TO NEAR GALE CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW THE COLD FRONT AS FAR SOUTH AS THE NICARAGUAN COAST BY LATE SUN. FURTHER EAST...A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL SHIFT INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC WATERS AND STALL OVER THE FAR N PORTION OF THE AREA TODAY. NORTHERLY SWELLS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLANTIC...MIXING WITH NE SWELL S OF 15N. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N52W TO HISPANIOLA. LATEST ASCAT PASS AND BUOY OBS INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PREVAIL W OF THE FRONT N OF 24N. BUOYS CONTINUE TO SHOW SEAS OF 8 TO 12 FT WITH LINGERING NW SWELL OUTSIDE OF THE BAHAMAS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH WILL DECREASE THE WINDS THROUGH THU NIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE N OF THE BAHAMAS THU NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO SHIFT OFF THE SE COAST EARLY FRI MORNING. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N75W TO SOUTH FLORIDA FRI NIGHT...31N66W TO CENTRAL CUBA SAT NIGHT...AND FROM 31N60W TO EASTERN CUBA BY SUN MORNING. ANOTHER ROUND OF COLD AIR WILL PUSH OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST BY LATE SAT REINFORCING THE FRONT. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE E OF THE COLD FRONT N OF 29N FRI. THERE WILL ALSO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS ON SUN IN THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA...MAINLY DUE TO THE COLD AIR ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 29N SUN. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED GMZ080-082 THU AND GMZ08W S OF 21N W OF 95W FRI AND SAT. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL/CHRISTENSEN