000 AGXX40 KNHC 051923 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EST SAT MAR 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... STRONG HIGH PRES OVER THE WESTERN ATLC EXTENDS A RIDGE SW ACROSS THE SE CONUS INTO THE EASTERN GULF WATERS PRODUCING FRESH TO STRONG E TO SE WINDS. SURFACE DATA AND AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 20 TO 25 KT WINDS ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND EASTERN GULF. THESE WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DECREASE LATE TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON FOLLOWED BY GALE FORCE WINDS. AS A RESULT...A GALE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ZONES GMZ080 AND GMZ082 BEGINNING AT 0000 UTC. THIS WILL BE A BRIEF GALE FORCE WIND EVENT THAT WILL LAST AROUND 12 HOURS OR LESS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 20 TO 30 KT RANGE S OF 22N W OF 95W BY SUN AT 1200 UTC. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NEAR TUXPAN MEXICO THIS EVENING...FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY SUN MORNING...AND SE OF AREA LATE SUN. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. EXPECT ANOTHER COLD FRONT TO ENTER THE NW GULF WATERS BY WED. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF ON MON INCREASING TO 20 KT LATER IN THE DAY THEN SPREAD EWD TUE AND WED. SO FAR...COMPUTER MODEL RUNS INDICATE 20-30 KT NLY WINDS BEHIND THE SECOND FRONT...THAT COULD EXTEND FROM TAMPA BAY FLORIDA TO THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE LATE THU. SW N ATLC... A FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDING FROM 24N65W TO 20N73W WILL DISSIPATE TONIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRES IS BUILDING ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE TROUGH RESULTING IN 20-30 KT NE WINDS AND 9-14 FT SEAS E OF THE BAHAMAS. A WINDSAT PASS FROM THIS MORNING VERIFIED THESE WIND SPEEDS. WINDS ARE FORECAST TO VEER TO THE SE AND S N OF 27N W OF 75W BY SUN...BECOMING S TO SW 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE OFF SE COAST LATE SUN. EXPECT NLY WINDS AT 20 KT BEHIND THE FRONT WHICH IS FORECAST TO EXTEND FROM 31N72W TO STRAITS OF FLORIDA LATE MON...FROM 31N66W TO 24N78W LATE TUE AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE OVER THE SE WATERS BY WED. THE ROUGH SEAS THAT CURRENTLY AFFECT THE REGION WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE AS THE AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT MOVES SE ACROSS THE SW N ATLC. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... ATLC HIGH PRES N OF AREA IS PRODUCING MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 20-25 KT WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. THE 1104 UTC WINDSAT PASS CORROBORATED THESE WIND SPEEDS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY SUN AS RIDGE DRIFTS EASTWARD. WINDS WILL INCREASE AGAIN TO 25 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA BY WED AS A NEW RIDGE BUILDS TO THE N. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE WARNING FROM 22N TO 26N W OF 95W...GMZ080 AND GMZ082. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR