000 AGXX40 KNHC 240750 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 250 AM EST FRI DEC 24 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... LAST REMNANTS OF A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE GULF ARE DISSIPATING. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS SHOW NE FLOW OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF AND E TO SE FLOW OVER THE WESTERN GULF. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY SAT MORNING. BOTH GFS AND ECMWF MODELS SHOW THE FRONT MOVING RAPIDLY SE THROUGH SUNDAY WITH NW WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT REMAINING BELOW GALE FORCE AT 20-30 KT. N WINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE ENTIRE GULF SUN EVENING THROUGH MON MORNING...WITH WINDS VEERING E BY TUE AFTERNOON. SEAS BUILD TO AROUND 12-13 FT NW OF THE COLD FRONT SUN THEN SUBSIDE MON. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE WINDS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN HAVE DIMINISHED OVER THE PAST 12-24 HOURS. A WEAKER PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS AND SOUTH AMERICA HAS ALLOWED WINDS TO BECOME LESS THAN 20 KT EXCEPT ALONG THE COAST OF NICARAGUA. SEAS TO 8 FT IN THE MONA AND ANEGADA ATLC PASSAGES IS EXPECTED TODAY. LARGE NW SWELL HAS SPREAD FAR SOUTHWARD INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC...WITH SEAS TO 14 FT NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS AND 10-12 FT E OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. A COLD FRONT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL REACH THE NW CARIBBEAN SUN NIGHT THEN WEAKEN ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH TUE. SW N ATLC... STRONG N TO NW WINDS WITH SEAS 12 TO 18 FT PREVAIL OVER THE SW N ATLC N OF 25N. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTION WILL MOVE SE OF THE ZONE BY THIS AFTERNOON. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NW WATERS SUN MORNING WITH GALE FORCE WINDS LIKELY WITHIN 150-200 NM EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT N OF 27N. WHILE THE GFS AND ECMWF MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE TIMING DIFFERENCES...THEY AGREE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GALE FORCE WINDS. A BLENDED SOLUTION WAS USED FOR THE FORECAST. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL