000 AGXX40 KNHC 080652 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EST THU DEC 08 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... COLD FRONT HAS SHIFTED SE OF THE AREA WITH LATEST ASCAT...CMAN...AND BUOY DATA INDICATING THE NW TO N WINDS OVER THE AREA HAVE DIMINISHED TO 20 TO 25 KT. LATEST OBSERVATIONS INDICATE SEAS HAVE SUBSIDED TO 10 FT OVER THE SW GULF WATERS. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DIMINISH...BELOW 20 KT BY THIS AFTERNOON...WITH SEAS SUBSIDING BELOW 8 FT TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD N OF THE AREA...INCREASING THE GRADIENT AND RESULTANT WINDS OVER THE GULF THIS WEEKEND. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... COLD FRONT HAS SHIFTED FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO INTO THE FAR WESTERN CARIBBEAN. LATEST ASCAT INDICATE NLY WINDS W OF THE FRONT HAVE FRESHENED OVER THE FAR WESTERN CARIBBEAN. THE FRONT WILL STALL AND GRADUALLY DISSIPATE OVER THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS THROUGH FRI. A COMPLEX SCENARIO OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. THE LOW PRESSURE THAT WAS CENTERED OVER THE FAR NE PART OF THE WATERS HAS SHIFTED E OF THE AREA...WITH TROUGH CONTINUING TO EXTEND SW FROM THE LOW ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DEFORMATION...THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT BACK SW AND DISSIPATE OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. MEANWHILE...THE TROUGH WILL ALSO DRIFT BACK TO THE WEST AS WELL...POSSIBLY REACHING THE FAR EASTERN CARIBBEAN WATERS THIS WEEKEND. MEANWHILE...A WEAKENING UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY NEAR 32N45W WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT S AND THEN WEST AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH. IN RESPONSE TO THIS FEATURE...A SECOND TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO DRIFT WESTWARD INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND...POSSIBLY REACHING THE SW N ATLC WATERS EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... COLD FRONT HAS ENTERED INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE AREA TONIGHT. LATEST ASCAT PASS INDICATED NEAR GALE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. THERE IS A COMPLEX FORECAST SCENARIO WITH THIS FRONT AS WELL. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WHICH HAS PROVIDED THE EASTWARD MOMENTUM IS LIFTING OUT...AND AS A RESULT...THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA BY THIS EVENING. AS A RESULT OF THE DECREASED PUSH BEHIND THE FRONT...WINDS WILL ALSO RAPIDLY DIMINISH BEHIND THE FRONT TODAY. THE BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT WILL DRIFT BACK WESTWARD THIS WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE EAST. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL