000 AGXX40 KNHC 071923 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EST SUN MAR 06 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 RIDGE EXTENDS FROM THE SE CONUS TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. WEAK PRES PATTERN IS NOTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE RIDGE WITH MAINLY GENTLE TO MODERATE BREEZE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS. NE WINDS OF 15 KT ARE BLOWING ACROSS THE FAR SE PART JUST BEHIND A COLD FRONT THAT CROSSES THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. SLY RETURN FLOW IS ALREADY INCREASING TO 20 KT ACROSS THE NW GULF. THE FRESH TO STRONG SLY WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF ON WED AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE TEXAS COAST. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT...FROM TAMPA BAY TO THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE THU...AND SE OF AREA BY FRI. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS TO 25 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO 9 FT W OF THE FRONT. A BAND OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED TSTMS WILL BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. SW N ATLC... A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N74W TO WESTERN CUBA AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL WILL REACH FROM 31N71W TO CENTRAL CUBA THIS EVENING AND FROM 31N68W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TUE EVENING THEN DISSIPATE WED. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS...AND SLY WINDS OF 20 KT ARE NOTED WITHIN AROUND 120 NM AHEAD OF THE FRONT N OF 28N. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WITH A TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT LEADING TO NE TO E WINDS INCREASING TO 15-20 KT TUE NIGHT AND WED. SLY WINDS ONCE AGAIN WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT ACROSS THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE SE U.S. COAST BY LATE THU. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N71W TO CENTRAL CUBA FRI AFTERNOON. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... WINDS AND SEAS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE ACROSS THE BASIN INCLUDING THE ATLC PASSAGES TUE NIGHT AND WED AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF AREA. AS A RESULT...EXCEPT 20 KT WINDS IN WINDWARD AND MONA PASSAGES...AND 25 TO 30 KT NEAR COAST OF COLOMBIA. OTHERWISE...HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES ACROSS MOST OF CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRES N OF AREA AND THE LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA WILL PRODUCE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS NEAR THE COLOMBIAN COAST THROUGH THU. THE PRES GRADIENT IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN BY FRI AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE SW N ATLC. EXPECT WINDS OF 10-15 KT ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA WITH 20 KT WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR