000 AGXX40 KNHC 050635 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 AM EST SAT FEB 05 2011 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... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. LATEST ASCAT PASS ALONG WITH SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE FRESH NW TO N WINDS OF 20 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL APPROACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL TONIGHT...THEN STALL AND MOVE N OVER THE SE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH SUN WHILE DISSIPATING. HIGH PRES WILL SHIFT E ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WITH SLY RETURN FLOW DEVELOPING OVER THE WESTERN GULF LATE TONIGHT...AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST SUN EVENING. THIS SECOND FRONT IS EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH MON AND SHIFT E OF THE AREA BY MON NIGHT. NW WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT AND SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS OF 8 TO 11 FT WILL PREVAIL BEHIND THE FRONT MON. HIGH PRESSURE WILL ONCE AGAIN BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. A THIRD COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST INTO THE GULF WATERS WED MORNING/AFTERNOON AND WILL REACH FROM SE LOUISIANA TO NEAR TAMPICO MEXICO LATE WED NIGHT. STRONG TO NEAR GALE NLY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT. SW N ATLC... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. A BELT OF FRESH NE TO E WINDS OF 20 KT WILL PERSIST OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND. THESE 20 KT WINDS WERE NOTED ON THE LATEST ASCAT PASS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO NW PORTION OF THE AREA TODAY WITH FRESH SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N72W TO THE NW BAHAMAS SUN NIGHT WHERE IT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE. A SECOND AND STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE FLORIDA COAST MON EXTENDING FROM 31N68W TO EASTERN CUBA TUE MORNING...REACHING FROM 27N65W TO EASTERN CUBA WED MORNING WHERE IT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED N OF 28N BEHIND THIS FRONT THROUGH TUE MORNING. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC... HIGH PRESSURE N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN AS WELL AS THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL SAT NIGHT...THEN STALL AND MOVE N OVER THE SE GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH SUN WHILE DISSIPATING. A SECOND COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW CARIBBEAN MON...REACHING FROM EASTERN CUBA TO E HONDURAS TUE WHERE IT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL