000 AGXX40 KNHC 200744 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 235 AM EDT FRI MAY 20 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 VERY CONSISTENT WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE GULF DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. 1017 MB HIGH PRES IS POSITIONED IN THE FAR NE GULF NEAR 29N84W WITH A RIDGE AXIS REACHING W THEN NW AND INLAND OVER SLIDELL LOUISIANA. THIS HIGH WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH AT LEAST TUE. E-SE WINDS DOMINATE THE GULF WITH 10-15 KT IN THE E GULF AND 15-20 KT IN THE W GULF. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH 1-3 FT SEAS IN THE E GULF...3-5 FT SEAS IN THE CENTRAL GULF AND 4-7 FT IN THE W GULF...OCCASIONALLY BUILDING TO AROUND 8 FT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC ... A MESSY WEATHER PATTERN IS IN PLACE OVER THE E AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WHICH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. TWO SURFACE TROUGHS ARE IN THE BASIN...THE FIRST IS IN THE NE PORTION OVER THE EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC EXTENDING E-SE TO S OF THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS. PERSISTENT SCATTERED SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED TSTMS REMAIN OVER THIS AREA. THIS TROUGH WILL NOT MOVE MUCH DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ANOTHER TROUGH IS IN THE CENTRAL PORTION BETWEEN HAITI AND JAMAICA. THIS TROUGH WILL GRADUALLY DRIFT W THROUGH TUE. THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF A TROPICAL WAVE IS IN THE E CARIBBEAN S OF 14N ALONG 64W. THIS WAVE WILL MOVE W AROUND 10-15 KT PER DAY EVENTUALLY MERGING WITH THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN TROUGH THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. EASTERLY TRADES OF 10-15 KT WILL DOMINATE THE E AND N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS IN THE SW CARIBBEAN. THE NW CARIBBEAN CAN EXPECT EASTERLY 10-15 KT WINDS...EXCEPT E-SE 20 KT WINDS IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS THROUGH SAT. IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC...NE-E 10-15 KT WINDS WILL PREVAIL. 5-7 FT NE-E SWELL WILL GRADUALLY DECAY TO 3-5 FT BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOUTHWEST N ATLC... EXPECT MAINLY RIDGING ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE OVER THE SE PORTION WHERE THE NE CARIBBEAN TROUGH DISCUSSED ABOVE EXTENDS TO N OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS NEAR 24N75W. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS EXIST WITHIN 300 NM NE OF THE TROUGH AND 90-120 NM SW OF THE TROUGH. THIS FEATURE WILL LINGER OVER THE SAME GENERAL AREA THROUGH SAT THEN WILL DISSIPATE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. EXPECT MAINLY 5-10 KT VARIABLE WINDS N OF 27N NEAR AND ALONG A RIDGE AXIS AND EASTERLY 10-15 KT S OF 27N THROUGH TUE. 4-6 FT SEAS IN EASTERLY SWELL WILL PREVAIL E OF 72W DECAYING TO 3-4 FT MON AND TUE...WITH 2-4 FT SEAS W OF 72W EXCEPT 1-3 FT IN LEE OF BAHAMAS. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY