000 AGXX40 KNHC 281934 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EST THU JAN 28 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... 1027 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE SE U.S. WITH 20 KT ELY WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF AND 20 KT SE WINDS OVER THE W GULF. THE HIGH WILL MOVE E INTO THE ATLC TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRI MORNING. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM SE LOUISIANA TO NEAR TAMPICO MEXICO FRI EVENING THEN FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY SAT THEN FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA SAT EVENING THEN SE OF THE GULF BY LATE SAT NIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH WILL INCREASE WINDS TO GALE FORCE OVER THE FAR SW GULF FRI NIGHT AND SAT WITH 20-30 KT WINDS ELSEWHERE BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS DOWN OVER THE GULF FROM THE N. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO SET UP AND INCREASE OVER THE W GULF ON TUE AS HIGH PRES RETREATS BACK TO THE N. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... STRONG HIGH PRES CENTERED N OF THE CARIBBEAN IS RESULTING IN A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT OVER THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC WITH FRESH TO STRONG TRADES PERSISTING ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE BASIN. A 1418 UTC AND A 1558 UTC ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS CAPTURED 20-30 KT WINDS ACROSS THE REGION WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND DOWNWIND OF THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AS WELL AS S OF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF HISPANIOLA. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT FOR THE AREA NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THE GRADIENT WEAKENS OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN FRI NIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW BECOMING ESTABLISHED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE FRONT WILL CROSS S THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL LATE SAT NIGHT INTO EARLY SUN THEN WILL STALL OUT AND DISSIPATE BY LATE SUN. FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL AND E CARIBBEAN ALONG WITH THE TROPICAL N ATLC MON AND TUE WITH HIGH PRES IN PLACE NE OF THE AREA. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRES EXTENDS ACROSS THE SW N ATLC FROM A 1027 MB HIGH CENTERED OVER THE SE U.S. WITH MAINLY LIGHT WINDS OVER THE AREA. THE EXCEPTION IS S OF 23N WHERE A 1416 UTC ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS DEPICTED 20 KT NE-E WINDS. THE HIGH WILL MOVE OFFSHORE AND INTO THE N PART OF THE AREA TONIGHT THEN WILL SHIFT E OF 65W FRI NIGHT. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW THEN BECOMES ESTABLISHED AND INCREASES OVER THE WATERS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE SE U.S. STATES. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFFSHORE OF N FLORIDA LATE SAT AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING AND SOUTHERLY FLOW IS EXPECTED TO REACH MINIMAL GALE FORCE N OF 30N AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WINDS SHIFT TO THE NW-N AT 20-25 KT FOLLOWING THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR 31N73W TO SE FLORIDA BY EARLY SUN THEN FROM 31N65W TO EASTERN CUBA BY SUN EVENING WHERE THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT AND DISSIPATE SUN NIGHT THROUGH MON AS THE REMAINDER OF THE FRONT CONTINUES TO THE E OF 65W. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW SETS UP BEHIND THE FRONT ON TUE AS HIGH PRES N OF 31N SHIFTS E. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 30N E OF FRONT SAT NIGHT AND SUN. CARIBBEAN... .AMZ084 AND AMZ086...GALE WARNING FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 73W AND 77W. GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ082...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 22N W OF 94W AND W OF FRONT FRI NIGHT AND SAT. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY