000 AGXX40 KNHC 081836 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... A WEAK COLD FRONT IS ENTERING THE NW PORTION OF THE GULF. A WEAK 1020 MB HIGH JUST OFF THE SW FLORIDA COAST WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON THEN COLLAPSE THIS EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT OVER THE NW WATERS MOVES S INTO THE N GULF FOLLOWED BY N TO NE WINDS OF 20 KT MAINLY W OF 90W. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND W TO E ALONG 27N/28N BY THIS EVENING THEN REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF TONIGHT WHILE DROPPING S ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF...REACHING SOUTH FLORIDA BY SUN MORNING. THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FRONT WILL THEN LIFT BACK N AS A WARM FRONT THROUGH SUN NIGHT WHILE THE EASTERN PORTION DISSIPATES OVER THE FAR SE GULF AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS SE ACROSS THE REGION. THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH AND LOW PRES OVER TEXAS AND NE MEXICO WILL TIGHT THE PRES GRADIENT AND PRODUCE INCREASING WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE WESTERN AND MIDDLE GULF MON AND SPREAD ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS MON EVENING THROUGH WED. LOOK FOR 20-25 KT SELY FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF LATE MON THROUGH WED WITH BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 9 FT. THE YUCATAN DIURNAL SEABREEZE WILL CONTINUE TO FLARE TO 20-25 KT WITHIN 90-120 NM OF THE COAST DURING LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY NIGHT THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. SW N ATLANTIC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A 1022 MB HIGH LOCATED SE OF BERMUDA WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING W-SW TO S FLORIDA WILL RETREAT E OF AREA TONIGHT INTO MON IN RESPONSE TO A COLD FRONT THAT WILL DROP S INTO THE FAR N WATERS LATE TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY FRESH NLY WINDS. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM BERMUDA TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA SUN NIGHT THEN GRADUALLY WEAKEN OVER CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND SE WATERS MON THROUGH WED. A LARGE AREA OF STRONG HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION INCREASING THE PRES GRADIENT PRIMARILY ACROSS THE SOUTHERN WATERS THROUGH WED. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT S OF 23N BY TUE NIGHT-WED...WITH SEAS BUILDING 6-8 FT IN NE SWELL E OF THE BAHAMAS AND 5-7 FT LEE OF THE BAHAMAS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... THE ATLC HIGH PRES RIDGE...CENTERED ON A 1022 MB HIGH SE OF BERMUDA...WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT E-NE THROUGH SUN AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES SE INTO THE NE GULF AND ACROSS FLORIDA AND INTO THE SW ATLC. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD SE ACROSS THE SW N ATLC LATE SUN THROUGH TUE TO GREATLY INCREASE THE PRES GRADIENT ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN AND PRODUCE FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS. 20-25 KT NE TO E TRADES ACROSS THE SRN CARIB TONIGHT WILL EXPAND N AND NW MON NIGHT AND SPILL THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND IN LEE OF CUBA...AND WILL LIKELY INCREASE TO AROUND 30 KT OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...WITH POTENTIAL FOR SMALL AREA OF GALES THERE. THE MOST RECENT WINDSAT PASS IS SHOWING SEVERAL WIND BARBS OF 25 KT WITHIN AROUND 60 NM OF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. A COUPLE OF WEAK TROUGHS ARE SEEN IN SATELLITE IMAGERY ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. ONE IS MOVING VERY SLOWLY ACROSS PUERTO RICO AND REGIONAL ATLC WATERS PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS....MAINLY ACROSS THE ATLC. THIS FEATURE WILL MOVE W-NW ACROSS HISPANIOLA AND TOWARDS THE SE BAHAMAS DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE SECOND...WITH SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS IS ALONG 60W FROM 21N TO 25N MOVING WWD ACROSS THE FAR N TROPICAL N ATLC. THE WARM SEASON HAS COMMENCED ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLC AND TROPICAL WAVES HAVE BEGUN TO TRAVERSE THE BASIN. A SERIES OF LOW AMPLITUDE TROPICAL WAVES WILL MOVE ACROSS S PORTIONS OF THE TROPICAL ATLC OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH THE FIRST ENTERING SE PORTIONS THIS EVENING...THEN A SECOND MON NIGHT. ENHANCED MOISTURE WITH SHOWERS AND TSTMS ARE EXPECTED WITH AND JUST AHEAD OF THESE WAVES...ALONG WITH A 20 KT SURGE IN THE TRADES AND SEAS TO 7 FT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/SS