000 AGXX40 KNHC 161931 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EST TUE FEB 16 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES WILL DOMINATE THE GULF REGION THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. NLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW ACROSS THE GULF WATERS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WED WITH SOME INCREASE IN WIND SPEEDS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF WED EVENING AS PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS OVER THE SE CONUS DUE TO A STRONG LOW PRES SYSTEM AFFECTING THE WESTERN ATLC. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF LATE THU THROUGH SAT DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A SURFACE TROUGH THAT SHOULD DEVELOP OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF ALONG THE MEXICAN COAST IN ABOUT 24 HOURS OR SO. CARIBBEAN... A COLD FRONT HAS JUST ENTERED THE NW CARIBBEAN FOLLOWED BY NLY WINDS OF 20 KT AND BUILDING SEAS. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM EASTERN CUBA THROUGH JAMAICA TO NE NICARAGUA TONIGHT AND SLOWLY MOVE FROM WINDWARD PASSAGE TO SW CARIBBEAN WED NIGHT BEFORE DISSIPATING OVER CARIBBEAN THU. HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS AREA W OF FRONT WITH SOME INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS WED AND THU. A BELT OF NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT IS NOTED OVER THE E AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN MAINLY S OF 14N PER AN ASCAT PASS AND SFC DATA. THIS PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH AT LEAST FRI WITH NE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THESE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 25 TO 30 KT LATE SAT. SW N ATLC AND TROPICAL ATLC W OF 55W... COLD FRONT FROM 31N73W TO 24N81W WILL REACH FROM 26N65W TO HAITI TONIGHT AND FROM 24N65W TO 20N70W WED MORNING THEN STALL OVER THE SE PORTION OF AREA LATE WED THROUGH THU AND PASS SE OF AREA THU NIGHT. HIGH PRES BUILDS W BEHIND THE FRONT THU THROUGH SAT. WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE CAN BE FOUND EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT PARTICULARLY N OF 26N. A REINFORCING FRONT WILL BRING AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS IN 48 HOURS WITH THE FRONT EXTENDING FROM 30N61W TO NEAR THE HAITI/DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BORDER THU MORNING. EXPECT WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT AND SEAS RANGING FROM 8 TO 17 FT BEHIND THE FRONT AND NE OF BAHAMAS. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR