000 AGXX40 KNHC 041757 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT SUN APR 4 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... AN E TO W RIDGE ACROSS THE SE CONUS ALONG ROUGHLY 33-34N WILL MAINTAIN THE E-SE RETURN FLOW WITH A SWATH OF 15-20 KT WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL WATERS FROM FL STRAITS TO TX. THE ENHANCED NE WINDS WILL CONTINUE DURING EVENINGS ALONG THE NW YUCATAN COAST. A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST AROUND SUNSET WED. GUIDANCE FLUCTUATING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE POST FRONTAL NLY WINDS...AND NOW SUGGESTS A LARGE AREA OF 30 KT...WITH ONLY THE SLIGHTEST HINT OF MINIMAL GALE NEAR 20N96W...AND ONLY BRIEFLY LATE THU. WILL GO WITH 30 KT MAX FOR NOW WHICH IN TURNS DROPS THE NWW3 GUIDANCE A LITTLE AND FORECASTING MAX SEAS TO ABOUT 11 FT. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO TRANSVERSE THE ENTIRE GULF BY SUNSET FRI. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A RIDGE PARALLEL TO THE BAHAMA ISLANDS FROM 31N75W TO PUERTO RICO IS EXPECTED BECOME ORIENTATED E-W ALONG 29N TUE AND WED... THEN RETRACT EASTWARD ON THU ALLOWING THE NEXT COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF SE CONUS THU NIGHT...REACHING FROM 31N70W TO NW BAHAMAS LATE FRI NIGHT. SURFACE LOW PRES IS NEAR 32N52W WITH GRADIENT PRODUCING NLY WINDS AT 20 KT OVER THE DISCUSSION WATERS E OF 68W. EXPECT THESE WINDS TO DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT OVER WATERS W OF 65W TONIGHT AND ALL WATERS W OF 55W BY MIDDAY MON. THE ASSOCIATED NLY SWELLS...RESULTING IN COMBINED SEAS TO 8 FT...ARE NOTED AS FAR S AS THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ATTM. AS SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS ACROSS NORTHERN WATERS EARLY THIS WEEK THE ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL BE IN THE 5-10 KT RANGE OVER ALL WATERS N OF 27N ROTATING CLOCKWISE AROUND RIDGE...WITH GRADIENT SUPPORTING STRONGER NE TO E WINDS AT 15 TO 20 KT OVER WATERS S OF 27N THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. SLY RETURN FLOW OVER THE NW WATERS WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KT THU AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT THU NIGHT WITH NLY FLOW BEHIND FRONT NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS STRONG. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A AND SHOULD FINALLY DISSIPATE TONIGHT. OTHERWISE NE TO E TRADES WILL PREVAIL THROUGH REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD TILL NEXT FRONT ARRIVE YUCATAN CHANNEL FRI NIGHT. STRONGEST WINDS AND SEAS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA BUT NE WINDS TO 20 KT ARE ALSO NOTED ACROSS THE WINDWARD AND MONA PASSAGES. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER NELSON