000 AGXX40 KNHC 221829 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EDT WED JUN 22 2011 GULF OF MEXICO... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL GENERALLY PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND LOWER PRES ACROSS EASTERN TEXAS AND NE MEXICO IS RESULTING IN FRESH SLY RETURN FLOW OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE GULF WATERS. SURFACE DATA AND AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS VERIFIED THESE WIND SPEEDS. WINDS WILL DECREASE BELOW 20 KT THU. THE ATLC RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN SOME OVER THE WEEKEND...TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE SW GULF...FRESHENING THE WINDS THERE. SW N ATLC... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE ALONG 27N WILL SHIFT N TO NEAR 30N FRI NIGHT. FRESH 20 KT SW WINDS ARE NOTED OVER THE FAR NE PART OF THE AREA AHEAD OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM EXTENDING ALONG 31N. DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THIS FRONT...WINDS WILL SHIFT W TO NW N OF 27N E OF 70W LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. NW SWELL CAN BE FOUND IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. THE FRESH 20 KT WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT BY TONIGHT AS THE LOW PRES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT MOVES E-NE ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC. EXPECT MODERATE E TO SE WINDS S OF THE RIDGE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. CARIBBEAN AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A TROPICAL WAVE IS NEAR THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ALONG 61W. THE WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN THE REST OF TODAY AND THU...THEN MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THU NIGHT...AND THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN FRI NIGHT WHERE THE WESTWARD PROGRESS WILL DECREASE AS IT STARTS TO INTERACT WITH THE MONSOON TROUGH OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC LATE SAT AND INTO THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN LATE SUN. FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL DOMINATE MUCH OF THE BASIN...PARTICULARLY THE AREA S OF 17N E OF 82W. FRESH E WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED ACROSS THE GULF OF HONDURAS MAINLY AT NIGHT AND THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. WARNINGS... ATLC... .NONE. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR/AL