000 AGXX40 KNHC 251738 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 140 PM EDT FRI MAR 25 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 COLD FRONT HAS STALLED FROM TAMPA BAY FL TO LAKE CHARLES LA AND EXPECT THE REMNANTS TO LOSE IDENTITY EARLY TONIGHT AS THE W PORTION MOVES NE BACK OVER THE NW COASTAL PLAINS. A NW TO SE RIDGE WILL BUILD QUICKLY BEHIND THIS FRONT WITH A WEAK HIGH CENTER SHIFTING SE ALONG THE RIDGE AXIS AND REACHING THE SE GULF TONIGHT...THEN MEANDERING NEAR SW FL THROUGH SAT NIGHT...FINALLY SHIFTING E OF AREA SUN. THE ASSOCIATED RIDGE WILL DISSECT THE GULF FROM SE TO NW WITH INCREASING SLY RETURN FLOW...STRONGEST OVER THE S CENTRAL WATERS THROUGH LATE SAT NIGHT. THESE SLY WINDS WILL DIMINISH OVER THE NW WATERS EARLY SUN AS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF WEAK COLD FRONTS STALL AND WASH OUT OVER THE NORTHERN COASTAL PLAINS AND WATERS. THE SECOND FRONT ARRIVES EARLY MON STALLING ALONG 29-30N AND DRIFTING N OF AREA BY MON NIGHT. SLY FLOW BUILDS BACK ACROSS THE EXTREME NORTHERN WATERS EARLY TUE...THEN DIMINISHES AS A THIRD COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TX COAST TUE NIGHT AND IN TURN DISSIPATES WED AFTERNOON. THEREAFTER THE SITUATION CHANGES WITH GUIDANCE SUGGESTING THE NEXT FRONT ARRIVING ALONG TX COAST THU WILL BE MUCH STRONGER... PERHAPS ACCOMPANIED BY NW GALES OVER THE NW WATERS. SW N ATLC W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N55W TO 28N65W TO 27N80W. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE E OVER THE WATERS E OF 70W...BUT LIFT NE OVER THE WATERS W OF 70W SAT AS AN E TO W RIDGE...CURRENTLY ALONG 23N...SHIFTS N TO ALONG 25N SAT NIGHT INTO SUN EFFECTIVELY PUSHING THE FRONTAL REMNANTS N OF AREA. THE GRADIENT TIGHTENS NW OF THE RIDGE EARLY SUN IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE GA COAST SUN NIGHT. LATEST GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THIS SECOND FRONT WILL BE STRONGER...AND REACH FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL FL AROUND SUNSET MON...CONTINUING FURTHER SE OVER WATERS E OF 70W...BUT LIFTING N TUE AFTERNOON ACROSS ATLC WATERS W OF 70W. A RIDGE WILL SHIFT SE ACROSS THE AREA EXTENDING FROM BERMUDA TO SE FL ON WED WITH SLY FLOW ALREADY INCREASING STARTING TUE NIGHT AND CONTINUING WED OVER THE WATERS NW OF THE RIDGE. THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NW WATERS AROUND SUNRISE THU...BUT SEEMS TO ONLY PENETRATE THE ATLC WATERS N OF 29N. THE FRONT PASSES BERMUDA LATE THU NIGHT BUT LIFTS BACK N ALONG ITS W SEGMENT AS A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT WINDS UP OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... AS THE E TO W ATLC RIDGE N OF THE AREA NOW EXTENDS ALONG 23N THE EASTERLY TRADES HAVE DIMINISHED OVER THE NORTHERN TROPICS. NE-E WINDS ALONG THE N COAST OF COLOMBIA HAVE ALSO DIMINISHED TO 20-25 KT. THE ATLC RIDGE WILL SHIFT N LATE THIS WEEKEND WITH THE EASTERLIES INCREASING AGAIN MON NIGHT. THE TRADES WILL REMAIN FAIRLY STRONG THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS A SERIES OF FRONTS MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO...WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT REACHING THE YUCATAN CHANNEL LATE FRI. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER NELSON