000 AGXX40 KNHC 071923 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 PM EST WED DEC 07 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 COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NORTH FLORIDA NEAR 30N82W TO THE FAR E PART OF THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. STATION SACV4...FROM THE MEXICAN NAVY SURFACE OBSERVATIONS...IS REPORTING GALE FORCE WINDS SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING. SO FAR...THE HIGHEST WINDS REPORTED WERE 35 KT SUSTAINED WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 42 KT. BUOY 42055 IN THE SW GULF REPORTED SEAS OF 15 FT DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. IN ADDITION...THE 1528 UTC HIGH RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS ALSO CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF THE GALE FORCE WINDS. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT S OF 21N AND W OF 95W THROUGH THIS EVENING. ELSEWHERE W OF THE FRONT...NLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT ARE BLOWING. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN ACROSS TEXAS AND NE MEXICO WILL PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL PUSH TO THE FRONT WHICH WILL SHIFT E OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH THU AND FRI AS THE FRONT EXITS THE GULF WATERS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD N OF THE AREA THROUGH SUN PRODUCING AGAIN SOME INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS ACROSS THE GULF REGION. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... FRESH NE WINDS ARE STILL NOTED OVER THE CARIBBEAN N OF 18N W OF 75W PER THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS. ONCE AGAIN...SCATTEROMETER DATA AND A FEW SHIP OBSERVATIONS INDICATED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE AREA LATE TONIGHT...WITH FRESHENING NLY WINDS. THE FRONT WILL STALL AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS THROUGH FRI. WEAK LOW PRESSURE IS CENTERED NEAR 21N54W WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING SW TO NEAR 14N61W. THE 1346 UTC ASCAT PASS SHOWED VERY WELL THE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW. WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE NOTED WITHIN 120 NM SE QUADRANT OF LOW CENTER. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS LOW AND HIGH PRES LOCATED N OF AREA NEAR 34N62W IS RESULTING IN AN AREA OF NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT FROM 21N TO 28N BETWEEN 50W AND 70W. THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER AND TROUGH WILL SHIFT EASTWARD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...AND E OF THE AREA THU AND FRI. THE TROUGH WILL THEN SHIFT BACK EASTWARD ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THIS WEEKEND IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL LOW...CURRENTLY N OF THE AREA...WHICH WILL SHIFT S THEN WESTWARD AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH. THERE WILL BE A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS SURFACE TROUGH AND HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED N OF THE AREA WHICH WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG WINDS OVER THE FAR N PART OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES LOCATED N OF AREA NEAR 34N62W EXTENDS A RIDGE SW TO THE NW BAHAMAS. A BELT OF FRESH NE WINDS IS OBSERVED FROM 22N TO 28N E OF THE BAHAMAS. THIS RIDGE WILL SHIFT EASTWARD ALONG WITH THE HIGH PRESSURE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SOUTHERLY WINDS ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL MOVE OFF THE FLORIDA COAST THIS EVENING. STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS WILL PREVAIL BEHIND THE FRONT BRIEFLY THIS EVENING AS THE FRONT SHIFTS RAPIDLY EASTWARD TO EXTEND FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA BY THU MORNING. THE FRONT WILL THEN STALL AND DRIFT WESTWARD FRI THROUGH SUN. A LOW MAY FORM ALONG THE FRONT NEAR NE FLORIDA BY LATE SUN. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ082...GALE WARNING S OF 21N W OF 95W. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR