000 AGXX40 KNHC 211833 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST MON FEB 21 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 EXTENDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WITH SE TO S WINDS OVER MOST OF THE GULF. SLY WINDS 15-20 KT ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF. HIGH PRES IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SHIFT SE THEN E IN THE WESTERN ATLC MAINTAINING A RIDGE ACROSS THE GULF REGION THROUGH TONIGHT. A WEAK FRONT WILL REACH THE TEXAS COAST TUE CAUSING A WIND SHIFT AND LIGHT WINDS ALONG THE FRONT BUT NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER OR CHANGES TO SEA STATE ARE EXPECTED. THE FRONT WILL 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 REACH LOUISIANA FRI AND BRUSH PAST THE NORTHERN GULF COAST THROUGH SAT. SW N ATLC W OF 65W... STRONG THAT WERE OVER THE NE PORTION OF THE AREA HAVE DECREASED TO 10-15 KT...HOWEVER LARGE N SWELL TO 16 FT IN EASTERN PORTION OF THE AREA. A 1022 MB HIGH PRES IS CENTERED NEAR 29N71W WILL MOVE SE AND E OF THE AREA TUE. HIGH PRES RIDGE BECOMES ELONGATED ALONG 25N TUE AS THE TAIL END OF A BACKDOOR COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF THE ZONE. FRONT WILL CAUSE SW WINDS TO INCREASE TO 20-25 KT...THEN SHIFT TO THE NW AND DIMINISH TUE NIGHT AND WED. MOST OF THE HIGH WINDS AND LARGE SEAS WILL BRUSH PAST THE NE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH THE GREATEST IMPACT BEING E OF 65W AND N OF 30N. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD N OF THE AREA THU WITH SW WINDS INCREASING AGAIN FRI AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT WHICH WILL BRUSH THE FAR N PORTIONS. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC... STRONG WINDS ARE BLOWING THROUGH THE ATLC PASSAGES AND NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...WITH 25 KT WINDS FUNNELING THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL SHIFT SE TODAY AND INCREASE TRADE WINDS ACROSS MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN. WIDESPREAD 20-25 KT WINDS ARE EXPECTED S OF 17N E OF 80W THROUGH WED. WINDS MAY APPROACH 30 KT TUE NIGHT AND WED NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SEAS WILL BUILD TO AROUND 11-12 FT IN THE SW CARIBBEAN TUE THROUGH WED. HIGH PRES MOVES E LATE WED...ALLOWING THE PRES GRADIENT TO WEAKEN OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH WINDS DIMINISHING. LARGE NLY SWELL CONTINUING OVER MUCH OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WILL SUBSIDE LATER IN THE WEEK THEN ANOTHER BATCH OF NLY SWELLS WILL PROPAGATE IN THE TROPICAL ATLC ZONE SAT. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS