000 AGXX40 KNHC 091921 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 PM EST WED FEB 9 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 IS EMERGING OFF THE TEXAS COAST THIS AFTERNOON...REACHING FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TONIGHT...FROM THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE TOMORROW MORNING...AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO THE NORTHERN YUCATAN BY LATE THU. EXPECT WINDS TO GALE FORCE OVER THE WESTERN GULF TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT AS FAIRLY COLD AIR FILTERS OUT OVER THE RELATIVELY WARMER WATER OVER NIGHT. WINDS TO GALE FORCE WILL PUSH SOUTH ALONG THE COAST OF VERACRUZ BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING THEN GRADUALLY DIMINISH THROUGH THU...WITH FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW ELSEWHERE N OF THE FRONT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8 TO 13 FT BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH THE HIGHEST SEAS IN THE SW GULF BY LATE THU. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH THU INTO FRI AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO SAG SE...REACHING FROM THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO THE NE YUCATAN BY EARLY FRI. STRONG HIGH PRES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL PUSH SE INTO THE NW GULF BY LATE FRI...TIGHTENING THE PRES GRADIENT AND ALLOWING WINDS OVER THE SOUTHERN GULF TO INCREASE INTO SAT. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH INTO SUN. THE HIGH PRES SHIFTS E INTO MON...ALLOWING MODERATE TO FRESH RETURN FLOW OVER THE NW GULF. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL WEAKEN AND BE DISPLACED EASTWARD...ALLOWING TRADE WIND FLOW OVER THE CARIBBEAN TO DIMINISH THROUGH FRI. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL SAG INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN BY LATE FRI...STALL FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO WESTERN HONDURAS ON SAT...AND DISSIPATE SUN. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO BEHIND THE FRONT FRI AND SAT...ALLOWING WINDS TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER THE NW AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. TRADES WILL AGAIN DIMINISH SUN AND MON AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS. FRESH TRADES OVER ATLC WATERS E OF THE WINDWARDS WILL PERSIST INTO SAT...BEFORE DIMINISHING SUN AND MON. BUOYS OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N ARE SHOWING N SWELL WITH COMBINED SEAS TO 10 FT. E SWELL IS ALSO MOVING INTO THE AREA...AND WILL MAINTAIN SEAS TO 12 FT OVER THE WATERS E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. SW N ATLC... DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT FROM 31N65W TO CENTRAL BAHAMAS WILL BECOME DIFFUSE THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE SE U.S. COAST THU MORNING AND STALL FROM 31N69W TO 26N80W THU NIGHT. THE MAIN FORECAST ISSUE WILL BE THE CHANCE FOR GALE FORCE WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON IN THE WATERS BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA N OF 30N. LATEST GFS OPERATIONAL AND ENSEMBLE RUNS ARE TRENDING HIGHER...SHOWING WINDS TO 35 KT BRIEFLY...N OF 30N E OF THE FRONT TO 70W. LATEST ECMWF IS A LITTLE LOWER HOWEVER...SHOWING SW WINDS TO 30 KT IN THIS SAME AREA TOMORROW AFTERNOON. WEAK LOW PRES WILL FORM ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND MOVE NE OF THE AREA THROUGH FRI. THE COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT SE AND STALL AGAIN FROM 28N65W TO EASTERN CUBA BY EARLY SUN. HIGH PRES BUILDS FROM THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO THROUGH CENTRAL FLORIDA NE THROUGH BERMUDA INTO MON. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080 AND GMZ082...GALE WARNING W OF 95W. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN