000 AGXX40 KNHC 260556 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EDT FRI MAR 26 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY LOCATED FROM NEAR CEDAR KEY FL TO 26N88W TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH E WITH A SQUALL LINE OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO SURFACE LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. BUOY OBS BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE W AND CENTRAL GULF ARE REPORTING NORTHERLY WINDS TO 20 KT. THESE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH DURING THE DAY AS HIGH PRES BUILDS DOWN OVER THE GULF FROM THE NW-N. MEANWHILE AN EARLIER WINDSAT SCATTEROMETER PASS CAPTURED MAINLY 10-15 KT SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT EXCEPT FOR HIGHER WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SQUALLS. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR FORT MYERS FL TO THE NE YUCATAN PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON THEN SE OF THE GULF WATERS TONIGHT. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW BECOMES ESTABLISHED ON SAT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE SAT NIGHT INTO EARLY SUN. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM SE LOUISIANA TO 22N98W SUN MORNING THEN FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA SUN EVENING AND FINALLY SE OF THE GULF WATERS BY MON EVENING. HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... THE STRONGEST TRADES CONTINUE TO BE CONFINED TO THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH SEVERAL SHIP OBS NW-N OF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA REPORTING 25-30 KT WINDS DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS. THE PRES GRADIENT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN REMAINS RATHER WEAK WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE E-SE TRADES OCCURRING. THIS PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH MON. A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL PUSH SE OF THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN MON NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL STRETCH FROM NEAR THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS EARLY TUE THEN WILL DISSIPATE LATER ON TUE. MEANWHILE THE PRES GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN OVER THE CENTRAL AND E CARIBBEAN WITH 20-25 KT EASTERLY TRADES ACROSS THAT AREA AND ALSO INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC. OTHERWISE NW-N SWELL OF UP TO 12 FT WILL PROPAGATE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE BEHIND A WEAKENING FRONT THAT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE ATLC. SW N ATLC W OF 65W... 1022 MB HIGH PRES HAS SHIFTED NE OF THE AREA AND IS CURRENTLY CENTERED NEAR 33N64W WITH A SURFACE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING FROM THE HIGH CENTER TO THE NW BAHAMAS AND INTO THE FAR SE GULF OF MEXICO. SOUTHERLY FLOW IS STRENGTHENING ALONG THE FLORIDA COAST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY LOCATED BACK ACROSS THE SE GULF. A SQUALL LINE WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY CONDITIONS IS PUSHING OFF THE E CENTRAL FL COAST. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS FL TODAY AND WILL REACH FROM NEAR 31N77W TO NEAR CAPE CANAVERAL FL THIS AFTERNOON THEN FROM 31N66W TO EASTERN CUBA EARLY SAT THEN SE OF THE AREA SAT NIGHT. EXPECT A BRIEF NORTHERLY WIND SURGE OF 20-25 KT BEHIND THE FRONT MAINLY N OF 27N. HIGH PRES BUILDS INTO THE NW PORTION FROM THE CAROLINAS SAT NIGHT INTO SUN WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING OFF THE FLORIDA COAST BY SUN AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT. THIS NEXT FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE W WATERS ON MON REACHING FROM 31N75W TO SE FLORIDA MON EVENING THEN FROM 31N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE BY TUE EVENING. GFS APPEARS TO BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ISSUES AS IT IS PROGGING AN AREA OF SOUTHERLY GALES AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHILE OTHER MODEL GUIDANCE KEEPS SOUTHERLY WINDS AT 20-25 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. HIGH PRES RETURNS BEHIND THE FRONT ON TUE NIGHT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY