000 AGXX40 KNHC 301836 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT FRI APR 30 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... WINDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS WITH SURFACE DATA...MARINE PLATFORMS AND THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS SHOWING SE TO S WINDS IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE. BUOY 42362 LOCATED NEAR 28N91W REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 31 KT LATE THIS MORNING. THIS WEATHER PATTERN IS ASSOCIATED WITH A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN A HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE SW ATLC AND LOWER PRES ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND MEXICO. THESE STRONG WINDS WITH BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 14 FT WILL PERSIST ON SAT BUT ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH SOME W OF 95W BY SUN AS A COLD FRONT REACHES THE COAST OF TEXAS. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO ENTER THE NW GULF SUN...FOLLOWED BY N TO NE WINDS OF 20 KT...THEN STRETCH FROM SE LOUISIANA TO THE WESTERN PORTION OF BAY OF CAMPECHE MON...AND FROM THE W FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE E PORTION OF THE BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE. SW N ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 55W... WEAKENING COLD FRONT OVER THE FAR SE WATERS WILL SLOWLY DISSIPATE THROUGH TONIGHT AS HIGH PRES MOVES EWD ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA REACHING TO NEAR 29N65W TONIGHT... THEN SLOWLY SHIFT TO E OF THE AREA LATE MON INTO TUE AS A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES TO THE FAR NW WATERS. THE HIGH PRES... ANALYZED 1022 MB ON THE 1800 UTC MAP...EXTENDS A RIDGE EWD COVERING THE CENTRAL ATLC. EXPECT NE TO E WINDS OF 20 KT AROUND THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THIS HIGH...PARTICULARLY S OF 24N IN THE EVENINGS. AS THE HIGH PRES MOVES SLOWLY EWD SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE FAR WESTERN PORTION OF THE AREA SAT NIGHT THROUGH TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRES OVER THE SW ATLC AND LOWER PRES OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO IS PRODUCING FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN...MAINLY W OF 84W INCLUDING ALSO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. BOTH AN ASCAT PASS FROM THIS MORNING AND A RECENT WINDSAT PASS ARE SHOWING SE WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT W OF 84W AND E WINDS OF 20 KT S OF JAMAICA RESPECTIVELY. A WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS OVER THE N PORTION OF THE SW TROPICAL ATLC AND WILL DRIFT S THROUGH TONIGHT MOVING E OF THE AREA ON SAT. FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL PERSIST OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH SUN THEN DECREASE SOME ON MON. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR