000 AGXX40 KNHC 200555 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EST SAT MAR 20 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W HIGH PRES HAS MOVED E OF THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS WELL ESTABLISHED OVER THE WESTERN GULF AND WILL SPREAD E ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS MORNING IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE SAT AFTERNOON. STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS AND RAISING SEAS TO AROUND 14 FT WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT. A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NW AND SW ZONES SAT EVENING THROUGH EARLY SUN. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TO 20 TO 25 KT SUN AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE OF AREA SUN NIGHT. HIGH PRES WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT AND MOVE E TUE WITH RETURN FLOW INCREASING AGAIN IN THE W GULF TUE. COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 24N65W TO HAITI. THE FRONT WILL BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY OVER SE WATERS S OF 23N TODAY BEFORE DISSIPATING SUN. W TO NW WINDS OF 20 KT ARE STILL NOTED OVER THE N PORTION OF THE AREA MAINLY N OF 29N E OF 70W WILL DECREASE LATER TODAY. HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL MOVE E ACROSS THE AREA SUN. SLY WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA LATE SUN INTO MON AHEAD OF THE NEXT APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFFSHORE SUN NIGHT AND EXTEND FROM 31N75W TO WESTERN CUBA MON AND FROM BERMUDA TO WINDWARD PASSAGE TUE EVENING. STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM HAITI TO PANAMA WILL DISSIPATE LATER TODAY. INCREASING NE WINDS 20-25 KT S OF 17N E OF 77W TONIGHT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF AREA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN SUN NIGHT AND EXTEND FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO HONDURAS MON NIGHT THEN FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE SW CARIBBEAN TUE NIGHT. NLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 9 FT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080 AND GMZ082...GALE WARNING TONIGHT INTO EARLY SUN. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS