000 AGXX40 KNHC 201839 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST SUN FEB 20 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... HIGH PRES RIDGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WITH SLY RETURN FLOW CONTINUING IN THE NW GULF. SEAS REMAIN LOW...1 TO 2 FT OVER THE NE GULF AND 3 TO 4 FT ELSEWHERE. LITTLE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS EXPECTED THROUGH MON. HIGH PRES WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AS A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COAST TUE. THE WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT WITH THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL THEN WASH OUT ON WED AS HIGH PRES BUILDS. THE RIDGE MOVES E THU AND SLY RETURN FLOW WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE OVER THE NW GULF. ANOTHER WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRI AND EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE FRI AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE IN THE 10-15 KT RANGE WITH THIS FRONT. SW N ATLC W OF 65W... COLD FRONT FROM 27N65W TO 26N70W WILL MOVE RAPIDLY E OF THE AREA BY THIS EVENING. NW WINDS INCREASE TO 25-30 KT ACROSS THE NE PORTION OF THE AREA WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 12-19 FT AS THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS PAST. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED E OF 65W THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS DECREASE TO BELOW 20 KT TONIGHT. HOWEVER LARGE NW SWELLS W OF 75W...SEAS COULD BE UP TO 20 FT OVER THE NE PORTION OF THE AREA. HIGH PRES WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AND MON..THEN AN APPROACHING BACKDOOR FRONT WILL CAUSE SW WINDS 20-25 KT TO DEVELOP N OF 29N MON NIGHT AND TUE. SECOND FRONT WILL BE SIMILAR TO THE FIRST...WITH MOST OF THE HIGH WINDS AND LARGE SEAS BRUSHING PAST THE NE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA...AND THE GREATEST IMPACT BEING E OF 65W AND N OF 30N. EXPECT WSW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT TUE NIGHT N OF 28N. SEAS BUILDING TO 12-15 FT IN NW SWELL. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC... THE TRADE WINDS HAVE DECREASED ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN AND THE TROPICAL N ATLC...EXCEPT FOR SURGES IN NE TRADES THROUGH ATLC PASSAGES THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS TO 20 KT. THE THE TRADES WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT AND BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD MON NIGHT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER NE PORTION OF SW N ATLC. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE TO UP TO 30 KT TUE NIGHT AND WED NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THE HIGH THEN MOVES E LATE WED ALLOWING FOR THE PRES GRADIENT TO WEAKEN OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH WINDS DIMINISHING SOME. LARGE NLY SWELLS WILL CONTINUE OVER MUCH OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WILL SUBSIDE LATER IN THE WEEK. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS