000 AGXX40 KNHC 131933 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 240 PM EST SAT FEB 13 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... 1022 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE MIDDLE TEXAS COAST EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF REGION. WINDS AND SEAS ARE DIMINISHING FROM WEST TO EAST AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN. SFC DATA AND ASCAT PASS FROM 1526 UTC ARE STILL SHOWING NW TO N WINDS OF 20 KT OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL QUICKLY TURN E AND SE AS A SECOND COLD FRONT ENTERS THE NW GULF REGION SUN NIGHT WITH NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND IT W OF 92W. THE FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY SE EXITING THE AREA MON NIGHT. SEA CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT DUE THE STRONG NLY FLOW. MAXIMUM SEA HEIGHTS OF 14 FT ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SW GULF LATE MON. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD INTO THE NW PORTION WED AND MOVE EWD TOWARD SE LOUISIANA THU. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF LATE THU. CARIBBEAN... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM EASTERN CUBA TO NE HONDURAS FOLLOWED BY NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT AND SEAS TO 8 FT. A RECENT ASCAT PASS CONFIRMED THESE WIND SPEEDS. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN FROM HAITI TO COSTA RICA BY LATE TONIGHT...THEN DISSIPATE ON SUN AS WEAK HIGH PRES BUILDS S INTO THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN SEA. NLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE JUST OFFSHORE THE COAST OF NICARAGUA SAT AFTERNOON AND NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT ENTERS THE SW CARIBBEAN. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN TUE...AND REACH FROM EASTERN CUBA TO GULF OF HONDURAS BY LATE WED. TYPICAL TRADE WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE DOMINATES THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. LATEST INFORMATION ON THE SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO IN MONTSERRAT AT POSITION 16.7N 62.2W IN THE LESSER ANTILLES INDICATES THAT A VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD PERSISTS CENTERED 190 NM N OF SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO MOVING NE AT 15 KT. MARINERS SHOULD EXERCISES CAUTION AS REDUCED VISIBILITIES COULD IMPACT MARINE OPERATIONS. THE ASH CLOUD IS EXPECTED TO DISSIPATE TONIGHT. SW N ATLC AND TROPICAL ATLC W OF 55W... A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT N OF 25N AND EITHER SIDE OF A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N70W TO EASTERN CUBA. BOTH ASCAT PASS AT 1344 AND 1524 UTC CORROBORATED THE GALE FORCE WINDS. THE COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 26N65W TO EASTERN CUBA THIS EVENING...AND FROM 24N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE BY SUN MORNING...AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE OVER THE SE PORTION THROUGH MON MORNING. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL WITH SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS AS HIGH AS 21 FT CAN BE FOUND IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT OVER THE N WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. GALE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO SHIFT NE OF AREA LATE TONIGHT. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR NORTHERN WATERS ON MON...REACHING FROM 31N74W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY LATE MON...FROM 28N65W TO EASTERN CUBA BY TUE AFTERNOON...AND FROM 25N65W TO HAITI BY LATE WED. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 25N. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR