000 AGXX40 KNHC 211840 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 PM EST SUN MAR 21 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 IS MOVING ACROSS THE GULF WATERS FOLLOWED BY GALE FORCE WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 14 FT. SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS FROM THIS MORNING AND A HIGH RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS CONFIRMED THE GALE FORCE WINDS. THE SFMR FROM WC-130J AIRCRAFT CROSSING THE GULF WATERS REPORTED WINDS OF 30 TO 40 KT BETWEEN 84W AND BEYOND 92W AROUND 26N. THESE WIND SPEEDS ARE SUPPORTING BY BUOYS 42003 AND 42001 LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GULF. A NARROW BAND OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS IS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF. WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE HIGHER NEAR THIS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. A RECENT WINDSAT PASS REVEALS SE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT EXPECTED TO SWEEP SE OF AREA THIS EVENING...WITH GALE CONDITIONS DIMINISHING THIS AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT E ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF MON AND TUE WITH RETURN FLOW INCREASING AGAIN IN THE W GULF TUE AND WED. A NEW COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF NW GULF COAST THU MORNING...BUT IT WILL NOT BE AS STRONG AS THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM AND GALES ARE NOT EXPECTED. TROPICAL ATLC AND CARIBBEAN SEA... FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL CONTINUE TO DOMINATE THE EAST AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD. AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS AND SURFACE DATA ACROSS THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE BASIN VERIFIED THESE WINDS SPEEDS WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS S OF 15N AND E OF 76W. THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL PASS THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY THIS EVENING BRINGING 20-25 KT N WINDS BEHIND IT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS MON MORNING AND FROM E CUBA TO FAR SW CARIBBEAN TUE MORNING AND DISSIPATE WED. TRADE WINDS IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC ZONE WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT WED AS THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO MOVES EASTWARD NORTH OF THE AREA. SW N ATLC W OF 65W... A STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA IS SLOWLY MOVING NWD AS SURFACE WINDS VEER TO THE SE AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS LATE TONIGHT. NE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT WERE NOTED THIS MORNING WITHIN 90 NM N OF THE FRONT DUE TO THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN RIDGING FROM BERMUDA THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS INTO CENTRAL CUBA AND THE COLD FRONT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. S TO SW WINDS AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE T0 20 TO 30 KT N OF 28N TONIGHT THEN SHIFT W BEHIND IT. GALE CONDITIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED IN THE SW N ATLC WITH THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM. HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS WILL REMAIN IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE N OF 28N EITHER SIDE OF THE COLD FRONT DIMINISHING WED AS HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT TAKES CONTROL OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080...GALE WARNING THIS AFTERNOON. .GMZ082...GALE WARNING THIS AFTERNOON. .GMZ084...GALE WARNING THIS AFTERNOON N OF 26N W OF 87W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR