000 AGXX40 KNHC 211745 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT THU APR 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... SE WINDS 20 KT ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE GULF. HIGH PRES REMAINS IN CONTROL OF THE WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE REGION. THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS HIGH CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER THE NE PART OF THE GULF AND TROUGHING OVER THE PLAINS AND NE MEXICO WILL RESULT IN 20 TO OCCASIONALLY 25 KT SE RETURN FLOW OVER THE GULF THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS INCREASE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA OVER THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRES STRENGTHENS ALONG THE EASTERN U.S. AND THE WESTERN ATLC. WINDS DECREASE TO BELOW 20 KT E OF 90W BY TUE. SOUTHWEST N ATLC... LOW PRES E OF THE AREA COMBINED WITH A RIDGE ACROSS THE N PORTION OF THE AREA IS PRODUCING 20-25 KT NE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE ZONE. THE LOW IS CURRENTLY PRODUCING GALE FORCE WINDS WITHIN 180 NM NE QUADRANT BUT IS FORECAST TO WEAKEN TO BELOW GALE FORCE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR 23N62W WILL MOVE TO 26N63W THIS EVENING THEN WILL MEANDER THERE THROUGH FRI EVENING. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ACROSS THE EASTERN U.S. AND THE WESTERN ATLC RESULTING IN A TIGHTENING PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH AND THE LOW PRES THAT WILL REMAIN JUST E OF THE AREA. EXPECT WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA THROUGH SUN WHILE SPREADING E OF THE BAHAMAS. AS HIGH PRES CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY ACROSS THE REGION. THE LOW PRES IS FORECAST TO MOVE S AND WEAKEN TO A TROUGH BY SAT OVER THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE AREA LATE SAT AND SUN. THE TROUGH WILL DISSIPATE LATE MON...WITH A RIDGE ALONG 31N BY TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC W OF 55W... RATHER TRANQUIL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN WITH THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS BEING THE GULF OF HONDURAS AND THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WHERE WINDS OF 20 KT ARE BLOWING. THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE GULF OF HONDURAS THROUGH FRI NIGHT THEN DECREASE TO BELOW 20 KT OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WINDS THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND THEN DECREASE TO LESS THEN 20 KT ON MON. OTHERWISE ELY WINDS OF 10-15 KT ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN WITH SEAS BELOW 6 FT. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS