000 AGXX40 KNHC 090729 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EST SAT JAN 9 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA KEYS TO THE NE PORTION OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT WILL PERSIST BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE FAR SW GULF THROUGH LATE THIS MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY LATE SUN THROUGH WED AS HIGH PRES BUILDS S OVER THE GULF. AN ASCAT PASS FROM AROUND 0325 UTC CONFIRMED THESE WIND SPEEDS. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE OF THE GULF REGION THIS MORNING ENTERING THE NW CARIBBEAN. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... FRESH TO STRONG TRADES...20-25 KT...WILL CONTINUE OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...NEAR COLOMBIA...TODAY THEN DECREASE SUN AS THE ATLC RIDGE MOVES E AND A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN. THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER THE YUCATAN CHANNEL WILL MOVE INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN EARLY THIS MORNING WITH STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND IT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO HONDURAS THIS EVENING...THEN FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO THE SW CARIBBEAN NEAR 11N82W BY SUN EVENING... WHERE IT WILL BECOME STATIONARY. A REINFORCING PUSH WILL ALLOW THE FRONT TO MOVE TO A POSITION FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE SW CARIBBEAN NEAR 11N80W BY MON EVENING. BUILDING SEAS BEHIND THE FRONT ARE EXPECTED TO REACH 14 OR 15 FT SUN THROUGH MON. MEANWHILE A FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM PUERTO RICO TO THE N PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THEN NE OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE TODAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. A VOLCANIC ASHFALL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WITHIN 30 NM EITHER SIDE OF LINE FROM SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO MONTSERRAT AT 16.7N 62.2W TO 17.5N 65W. REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM ASH CLOUD MAY IMPACT MARINE OPERATIONS. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE FORECAST AREA NEAR 31N72W THEN CONTINUES SW TO THE FLORIDA KEYS. THE FRONT WILL MOVE TO A POSITION FROM 31N65W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND CENTRAL CUBA THIS EVENING. A WEAK LOW PRES...1011 MB NEAR 31N70W...IS FORECAST BY THE COMPUTER MODELS TO DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN ABOUT 48 HOURS RESULTING IN A SLOWER MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN SEA. THE LOW PRES WILL MOVE NE ALLOWING THE TRAILING COLD FRONT TO REACH THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA AND HISPANIOLA. SW OF 20 TO 30 KT ARE BLOWING AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH NLY WINDS INCREASING TO 20-30 KT BEHIND THE FRONT LATE TODAY. SAT. THE NLY WINDS WILL BEGIN TO DECREASE FROM W TO E...LATE SUN INTO MON...HOWEVER LARGE SWELLS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE E PORTION OF THE AREA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK THEN SUBSIDE ON WED. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE WARNING GMZ082 S OF 22N W OF 94W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR