000 AGXX40 KNHC 231835 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT WED MAR 23 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 1019 MB HIGH PRES LOCATED OVER THE SW N ATLC EXTENDS A RIDGE WWD ACROSS FLORIDA INTO THE GULF WATERS. SLY RETURN FLOW IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE IS NOTED OVER THE WESTERN GULF PER THE MOST RECENT WINDSAT PASS AND SURFACE DATA. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN BY THU AS A COLD FRONT BRUSHES THE NORTHERN WATERS. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN AGAIN IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT BY FRI. EXPECT INCREASING SLY WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND AS A LOW PRES SYSTEM DEEPENS OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A 1019 MB HIGH PRES LOCATED NEAR 26N73W WILL MOVE SLOWLY SE AND WEAKEN TONIGHT AS A WEAKENING COLD FRONT CLIPS THE NE PART OF THE AREA. THE COLD FRONT IS ANALYZED ALONG 31N56W 30N61W 31N66W ON THE 1800 UTC SURFACE MAP. NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS ARE NOTED N OF 30N BETWEEN 52W AND 58W PER THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS. A GALE WARNING IS IN EFFECT N OF 30N E OF FRONT TO 45W BEGINNING AT 23/1800 UTC. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS ACROSS THE N WATERS TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO ENTER THE N PORTION OF THE AREA LATE THU. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 28N65W TO NE FLORIDA BY LATE FRI AND DISSIPATE OVER THE NE PORTION BY LATE SAT. RIDGE WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED FROM NEAR 31N70W TO S FLORIDA ON SAT AND BUILDS WESTWARD ALONG 27N SUN. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRES TO THE N OF THE AREA AND LOW PRES OVER COLOMBIA IS MAINTAINING MODERATE TO STRONG NE TRADES ACROSS MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN BETWEEN 68W-78W...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS AS USUAL ALONG COAST OF COLOMBIA. SEAS THERE WERE INDICATED BY SEA STATE ANALYSIS FROM THIS MORNING TO BE UP TO 11FT. LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED ON THESE CONDITIONS THROUGH THU AFTERNOON...THEN A DIMINISHING TREND IS EXPECTED THROUGH FRI AS THE ATLC RIDGE TO THE N WEAKENS. TRADES THEN INCREASE AND EXPAND IN AREAL COVERAGE LATE FRI THROUGH SUN OVER MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC AS HIGH PRES BUILDS AGAIN N OF AREA. SE WINDS INCREASE AGAIN TO 20 KT OVER THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN DURING THE WEEKEND AS GULF OF MEXICO SE-S RETURN FLOW INCREASES. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR