000 AGXX40 KNHC 031853 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 250 PM EDT SEP 03 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... T.S. LEE CENTERED ABOUT 40 NM SW OF MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA CONTINUES TO MOVE N TOWARD THE COAST. BAND OF STRONG CONVECTION EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL GULF TO JUST OFF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA. OIL RIG AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS WITHIN THIS BAND ARE SHOWING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS CURRENTLY. WINDSAT DATA ALSO SHOW NW WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT ON THE SW SIDE OF LEE...COVERING THE NW GULF. SEAS TO 15 FT ARE NOTED OVER THE N CENTRAL GULF...BUT HIGHER SEAS ARE LIKELY IN NUMEROUS SQUALLS. SWELL WITH HEIGHTS TO 9 FT WILL SWEEP ACROSS NORTHERN AND WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE GULF THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. LEE WILL PUSH ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THROUGH MON...WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE GULF. STRONG N WINDS ARE POSSIBLE ON THE W SIDE OF THE FRONT...DOWN THE VERACRUZ COAST IN THE SW GULF BY LATE MON THROUGH WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W...HURRICANE KATIA IS MOVING TO THE NW...APPROXIMATELY 300 NM NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. WINDS IN EXCESS OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL IMPACT THE NE PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC MARINE ZONE...MAINLY N OF 18N E OF 59W. EASTERLY SWELL OF 8 TO 10 FT IS PUSHING W OF KATIA...EFFECTING THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE PASSAGES INTO THE NE CARIBBEAN AND SHOULD REMAIN ON THE ATLC SIDE OF THE ANTILLES. ELSEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN...WINDSAT DATA SHOW WINDS TO 20 KT OFF THE NORTHERN COAST OF VENEZUELA AND THE ABC ISLANDS...SOUTH OF WEAK RIDGING TO THE N OF HISPANIOLA. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH AFTER THE RIDGE WEAKENS AHEAD OF KATIA. FURTHER WEST...AN ASCAT PASS FROM 15Z SHOWED SOME FRESH SE WINDS FROM THE GULF OF HONDURAS TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THIS WILL ALSO DIMINISH AS T.S. LEE MOVES FURTHER N ONSHORE AND WEAKENS. SW ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A 15Z ASCAT PASS SHOWED A TROUGH AXIS FROM 31N68W TO 27N76W...TO THE NORTH OF A RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE N CENTRAL ATLC TO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN AND LIFT N THROUGH MON...AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING HURRICANE KATIA. WINDS IN EXCESS OF TROPICAL STORM STRENGTH ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE W OF 65W BY TUE MORNING...AS KATIA MOVES TO THE SW OF BERMUDA. SEE WTNT22 KNHC/TCMAT2 FOR FURTHER DETAILS ON HURRICANE KATIA. SWELL WITH HEIGHTS OF 8 TO 14 FT WILL PRECEDE KATIA OVER WATERS E OF 72W THROUGH TUE MORNING. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080...TROPICAL STORM WARNING E OF 94W. .GMZ084...TROPICAL STORM WARNING N OF 25N W OF 86W. CARIBBEAN... .NONE. TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ087...HURRICANE WARNING N OF 17N E OF 62W. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN