000 AGXX40 KNHC 121844 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST SUN DEC 12 2010 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT PUSHING RAPIDLY SE THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. FRONT IS EXPECTED TO EXIT THE GULF AFTER 00 UTC TONIGHT. SURFACE OBS INDICATE WIDESPREAD 25-30 KT WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH SOME ELEVATED PLATFORMS REPORTING 35 KT. SCAT PASS AT 1616 UTC SHOWS 30 KT WINDS N OF 27N MAINLY E OF 90W. A GALE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT N OF 25N E OF 90W BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 18 FT IN THE CENTRAL AND E GULF. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE OVER THE N CENTRAL AND NE GULF MON AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS SE. WINDS QUICKLY DIMINISH TO 10 TO 15 KT OVER THE W GULF MON AFTERNOON AND IN THE E GULF BY TUE AFTERNOON. RIDGING WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE GULF TUE THROUGH THU ALLOWING S RETURN FLOW TO DEVELOP IN THE W GULF...INCREASING TO 20 KT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH REACHES THE TEXAS COAST THU. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWS MODERATE NE TO E TRADE WINDS OVER MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC. N WINDS ARE EVIDENT IN THE SW CARIBBEAN...A REMNANT OF STRONG FLOW INTO A STATIONARY LOW IN PANAMA WHICH HAS NOW DISSIPATED. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW CARIBBEAN THIS EVENING...REACHING FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO HONDURAS TONIGHT...FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO NICARAGUA MON... FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO PANAMA MON NIGHT...THEN STALL FROM PUERTO RICO TO NW COLOMBIA TUE. STRONG N WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DIMINISH WED AND THU. SEAS WILL BUILD FROM LARGE NW SWELL BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH WED NIGHT...WITH MODERATE-FRESH TRADES EXPECTED THU. N WINDS OF 20-30 KT BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BUILD SEAS TO 14 FT ALONG THE NICARAGUA COAST. MODERATE TRADES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE E CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC THROUGH WED. NE-E WINDS TO 20-25 KT WILL FUNNEL THROUGH THE MONA AND ANEGADA PASSAGES BEHIND THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FRONT WHICH WILL PUSH E THROUGH THU. NW SWELL TO 13 FT EXPECTED IN NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT WED. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... 1423 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWS AREA OF 30 KT SW WINDS JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT N OF 28N. A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT NEAR THE SE GEORGIA/NE FLORIDA COAST WILL MOVE RAPIDLY SE THROUGH TUE. SW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO GALE FORCE N OF 27N W OF 76W LATER TODAY. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR 31N75W TO CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT... FROM 31N71W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE MON...FROM 31N61W TO THE VIRGIN ISLANDS TUE...THEN PUSH E OF 55W WED. 25-35 KT W-NW WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT N OF 27N...AND A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT BEGINNING AT 00 UTC TONIGHT. 30-35 KT GALES EXPAND TO N OF 25N W OF THE FRONT BY MON NIGHT FROM REINFORCING COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS BUILD 23 FT NORTHERN HALF OF THE AREA BY MON AFTERNOON. WINDS DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE TUE. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH WED-THU AS HIGH PRES SETTLES ACROSS THE NW PORTION. S RETURN FLOW RETURNS THU NIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. WARNINGS... ATLC... .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 27N WITHIN 180 NM E OF FRONT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MON NIGHT. .AMZ080...GALE WARNING N OF 27N W OF FRONT TONIGHT THROUGH TUE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE WARNING GMZ084-086 THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MON AFTERNOON. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL