000 AGXX40 KNHC 140758 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 355 AM EDT FRI MAY 14 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W GULF OF MEXICO... RIDGE EXTENDS JUST INLAND THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. AN ASCAT PASS FROM LATE LAST NIGHT ALONG WITH RECENT BUOY DATA SHOW THAT WINDS ARE E-SE IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE THROUGHOUT THE AREA...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FAR SOUTHERN MIDDLE AND EASTERN GULF INCLUDING WATERS NEAR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WHERE E-SE WINDS ARE STRONGER IN 20-25 KT RANGE. WINDS IN THE FAR NE PORTION ARE LIGHTER...NE 5-10 KT. OBSERVED SEASTATE FROM BUOY AND SHIP REPORTS REVEALS SEAS IN THE 6-8 FT RANGE OVER THE WESTERN PORTION AS WELL AS IN THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE MIDDLE AND EASTERN PORTIONS. SEAS ARE LOWER...1-2 FT IN THE FAR NE PORTION. LATEST MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT WIND SPEEDS WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SUN NIGHT WITH A GENERAL RANGE OF 10-15 KT...EXCEPT NEAR THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WHERE NE-E 20-25 KT WINDS SHOULD MATERIALIZE IN THE EVENINGS. IN THE FAR NE PART...WINDS SHOULD HOLD AT 5-10 KT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ON MON AND TUE...WINDS AND SEAS WILL BE RATHER LOW THROUGHOUT AS HIGH PRES SETTLES IN OVER THE FAR NW GULF. THE RIDGE JUST INLAND THE NORTHERN COAST WILL SHIFT E OF THE AREA THROUGH EARLY MON IN RESPONSE TO A WEAK FRONT OR TROUGH THAT IS EXPECTED TO SWING SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE E GULF LATE MON THROUGH TUE. SW N ATLC... A 1027 MB HIGH IS ANALYZED NEAR 30N74W WITH A RIDGE TO E OF AREA...AND ANOTHER ONE W TO JUST INLAND THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. A PRONOUNCED TIGHT PRES GRADIENT OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS DUE TO THE HIGH AND LOWER PRES OVER S AMERICA IS SUPPORTING NE-E 20 KT WINDS S OF 25N AS NOTED IN AN ASCAT PASS LATE LAST NIGHT...AND IN OBSERVATIONS FROM BUOYS ALONG THE FLORIDA KEYS. THESE WINDS ARE ALSO IMPACTING THE MONA AND WINDWARD PASSAGES. ELSEWHERE WINDS ARE LIGHTER...10-15 KT IN A NE-E DIRECTION E OF 75W...AND E TO SE TO THE W OF 75W. THE HIGH AND ASSOCIATED RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO SHIFT ESE THIS WEEKEND IN RESPONSE TO A COLD FRONT THAT WILL BE APPROACHING THE U.S. E COAST. AS THIS HAPPENS...WINDS WILL WEAKEN OVER JUST ABOUT THE ENTIRE AREA...EXCEPT FOR THE WATERS BETWEEN THE SE BAHAMAS AND HISPANIOLA WHERE E WINDS OF 15-20 KT WILL BE OCCURRING BY SUN. THE FRONT SHOULD THEN MOVE OFF THE SE GEORGIA AND NE FLORIDA COASTS LATE TUE WITH INCREASING SLY WINDS ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... AS THE ATLC HIGH PRES CONTINUES TO THE N THE MODERATE TO STRONG ELY WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS 25-30 KT ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA INTO TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO 15-20 KT MOST OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND AS THE HIGH WEAKENS. A SERIES OF LOW LATITUDE TROPICAL WAVES WILL PASS THROUGH THE TROPICAL WATERS S OF 10N WITH MOST SIGNIFICANT WAVE...CURRENTLY ALONG 40W/41W MOVING W ABOUT 17 KT AND ACCOMPANIED BY TSTMS EXPECTED TO BE ENTERING THE SE PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC BY SAT EVENING. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE