000 AGXX40 KNHC 051745 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT THU MAY 5 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... SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE COLD FRONT IN THE ATLC VERY DIFFUSE IN THE EASTERN GULF. EXPECT THE FRONT TO DISSIPATE COMPLETELY WITHIN THE NEXT 3-6 HOURS. MODERATE NE WINDS PREVAIL OVER MOST OF THE GULF. WINDS EASTERLY IN THE NW GULF AND NORTHERLY IN THE SW GULF WITHIN 150 NM OF THE MEXICO COASTLINE. MAX SEAS ANALYZED AT 8 FT THIS MORNING IN THE CENTRAL GULF. HIGH PRES IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE TX/LA COAST FRI THEN SHIFT SLOWLY E INTO THE NE GULF THROUGH SUN. WINDS WILL DIMINISH AS HIGH PRES SETTLES IN ACROSS THE REGION...AND WINDS WILL GRADUALLY VEER ANTICYCLONIC AS THE HIGH SHIFTS E. SE WINDS WILL RETURN TO THE WESTERN GULF BY SAT... AND WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARIABLE IN THE EASTERN GULF AND THE MIDDLE GULF N OF 25N THROUGH MON. SEAS STEADILY SUBSIDE THROUGH FRI NIGHT ACROSS THE REGION...AND WILL REMAIN 1-3 FT OVER MOST OF THE GULF THROUGH SUN. SEAS WILL BEGIN TO BUILD IN THE WESTERN GULF SUN AND MON AS SE RETURN FLOW INTENSIFIES. SW N ATLC... VIS IMAGERY SHOWS WELL DEFINED CLOUD BAND ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT FROM 31N71W TO S FLORIDA. SURFACE OBS INDICATE FRESH 20-25 KT WINDS NW OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN NW PART OF THE ZONE. WEAK HIGH PRES PREVAILS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DIMINISH TO AROUND 15 KT TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL DISSIPATE WITHIN THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS. SEAS TO 7-8 FT NEAR THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE TO AROUND 5-6 FT THROUGH FRI. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ACROSS THE NORTHERN WATERS TONIGHT...THEN SLIDE E OF THE AREA BY EARLY SAT MORNING. A WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE N FLORIDA COAST FRI NIGHT AND EXTEND FROM 31N74W TO S FLORIDA SAT AFTERNOON THEN DISSIPATE SUN MORNING. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NW WATERS SUN NIGHT AND INTO NE PORTION OF THE AREA MON. S WINDS 15-20 KT WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT SAT...THEN SHIFT NW-N AT 10-15 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL ATLC... HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. HIGHEST WINDS AND SEAS CONTINUE TO BE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND THE ATLC PASSAGES...AT AROUND 20 KT AND 6-7 FT. HIGH PRES BUILDING NE OF THE AREA SAT THROUGH MON WILL INCREASE WINDS TO 20 KT OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. REMAINDER OF THE AREA CAN EXPECT LIGHT TO MODERATE TRADES AND SEAS LESS THAN 5 FT. WARNINGS.. ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL