000 AGXX40 KNHC 291829 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT THU APR 29 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 CENTERED OVER THE SW ATLC NEAR 30N80W EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE GULF REGION. STRONG SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH SAT AS THE PRES GRADIENT STRENGTHENS BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND A STALLED FRONT OVER EASTERN TEXAS. EXPECT SE TO S WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 13 FT PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE N WATERS. WINDS WILL DIMINISH W OF 95W BY SUN AS PRES GRADIENT RELAXES DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A COLD FRONT WHICH IS FORECAST TO MEANDER NEAR THE TEXAS/MEXICO COASTS SUN AND MON. A FRONTAL TROUGH IS FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE GULF DURING LAST PART OF THE FORECAST PERIOD EXTENDING FROM 30N92W TO 22N95W MON...AND FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE NEAR 20N92W TUE. SW N ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT ENTERS THE FORECAST AREA NEAR 31N54W THEN CONTINUES SW TO NEAR 23N70W THEN A FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THIS POINT TO EASTERN CUBA AND THE NW CARIBBEAN. THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE SW ATLC LATER TODAY THROUGH FRI MORNING AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE AS HIGH PRES MOVES E ACROSS THE FAR N PORTION OF THE ZONE REACHING TO NEAR 29N65W LATE FRI THEN WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THERE DURING THE REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE NOTED N OF 28N AND EITHER SIDE OF THE COLD FRONT PER A RECENT WINDSAT PASS. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL FOLLOWS THE FRONT AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE NE PORTION OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THEN SLOWLY SUBSIDE THROUGH FRI. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE TO 20 KT AROUND THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE HIGH PRES PARTICULARLY S OF 24N IN THE EVENINGS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... SURFACE TROUGH FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO NORTHERN BELIZE WILL DISSIPATE LATER TODAY. THIS FRONTAL TROUGH COMBINED WITH A DIFFLUENT PATTERN ALOFT IS GENERATING AN AREA OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED TSTMS S OF 20N AND W OF 85W. WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE HIGHER NEAR THE TSTMS. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE N PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC TONIGHT THROUGH FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THOSE WATERS. TRADES IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE IN THE CARIBBEAN S OF 15N AND E OF AROUND 73W WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 25 KT OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN FRI THROUGH SUN THEN DECREASE SOME ON MON. SE WINDS OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN W OF 84W WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT FRI AND CONTINUE THROUGH SUN. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS