000 AGXX40 KNHC 221752 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT FRI APR 22 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 OF 20 KT ARE 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 GULF AND LOWER PRES 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. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8 FT OVER THE WESTERN GULF LATE SAT. WINDS DECREASE TO BELOW 20 KT E OF 90W MON WITH WINDS BELOW 20 KT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA TUE. SLY WINDS ONCE AGAIN INCREASE ACROSS THE NW GULF AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WED. THE FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE TEXAS COAST LINE WED AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST N ATLC... LOW PRES SYSTEM E OF THE AREA COMBINED WITH A RIDGE ACROSS THE N PORTION OF THE AREA IS PRODUCING 20-30 KT NE WINDS OVER THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE ZONE. A TROUGH EXTENDS FROM LOW CENTER TO THE MONA PASSAGE. DISORGANIZED SHOWER AND TSTMS ACTIVITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...AND UPPER-LEVEL WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME LESS CONDUCIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT TODAY. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE OF THIS SYSTEM DEVELOPING INTO A SUBTROPICAL OR TROPICAL CYCLONE DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THE LOW PRES CURRENTLY LOCATED NEAR 27N63W WILL MEANDER THERE THROUGH THIS 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 FORECAST AREA. AS HIGH PRES CONTINUES TO INTENSIFY ACROSS THE REGION...EXPECT WINDS OF 20-25 KT ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE AREA THROUGH SUN WHILE SPREADING JUST E OF THE BAHAMAS. THE LOW PRES IS FORECAST TO MOVE SW REACHING 24N66W SAT...THEN WEAKEN INTO A TROUGH NEAR HISPANIOLA LATE SUN. THE TROUGH WILL DISSIPATE LATE MON...WITH A RIDGE ALONG 31N BY TUE AND WED. 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. WINDS AND SEAS WILL INCREASE SLIGHTLY INCREASE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER DGS