000 AGXX40 KNHC 301807 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 110 PM EST FRI DEC 30 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 RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE FL BIG BEND TO NE OLD MEXICO WILL MOVE LITTLE...BUT WEAKEN...TONIGHT THROUGH SAT ALLOWING A COLD FRONT...ORIENTATED ENE-WSW...TO MOVE S INTO THE NORTHERN WATERS SAT NIGHT. HIGH PRES STRENGTHENS WELL TO THE N AND PUSHES THE FRONT SE OF AREA MON NIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD S ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. THE N-NE WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20-30 KT ABOUT 6 HOURS BEHIND FRONT...EXCEPT OVER THE SW ZONE WHERE THE NW-N WINDS WILL INCREASE TO A MINIMAL GALE MON AFTERNOON AND EVENING...DIMINISHING BELOW GALE BY SUNRISE TUE. WINDS WILL ALSO QUICKLY VEER TO THE SE OVER THE NW WATERS LATE TUE...WHILE DIMINISHING TO LESS THAN 20 KT ACROSS ALL WATERS WELL BEFORE SUNRISE ON WED. A SURFACE HIGH WILL SHIFT S TO OVER THE N CENTRAL WATERS WED. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... A FRONTAL TROUGH EXTENDING SW FROM 31N69W TO THE NW BAHAMAS WILL MEANDER...OR DRIFT SLOWLY W...TILL A SECOND COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE GA COAST SAT MERGES WITH IT EARLY SAT NIGHT...WITH THE MERGED BOUNDARY STALLING AGAIN FROM BERMUDA TO SE BAHAMAS LATE SAT NIGHT. A THIRD...BUT MUCH STRONGER...COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW WATERS LATE SUN AND RACE SE OVERTAKING THE INITIAL MERGED FRONT THEN EXTENDING FROM BERMUDA TO THE SE BAHAMAS ON MON NIGHT. THE THREE MERGED FRONTS WILL MOVE TO A POSITION FROM 31N55W TO PUERTO RICO AROUND SUNRISE ON WED. NW WINDS AT 15-20 KT W OF THE THIRD STRONG FRONT ON MON AFTERNOON WILL INCREASE TO 20 TO 30 KT MON NIGHT WITH MINIMAL GALE CONDITIONS OVER WATERS N OF 28N W OF THE FRONT TO 78W ON TUE...WITH THE GALE CONDITIONS SHIFTING N OF AREA TUE NIGHT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH BELOW 20 KT ALL WATERS ON WED...BUT INCREASE TO 20 KT BOTH SIDES OF A FOURTH COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS THE N WATERS WED NIGHT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... NE-E TRADES WILL CONTINUE AT 25-30 KT OVER THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN AND 20-25 KT ELSEWHERE TO THE S OF 17N E OF 80W. WINDS WILL DIMINISH SOME MON OVER THE CARIBBEAN E OF 83W AND TROPICAL ATLANTIC...BUT THEN BEGIN TO INCREASE TO 20 KT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN BEHIND A COLD FRONT. THIS COLD FRONT WILL DIP INTO THE ATLC WATERS N OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS WED ACCOMPANIED BY A NEW ROUND OF LARGE NW SWELLS. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. GMZ082...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF 95W MON AND MON NIGHT. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. AMZ080...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 28N W OF FRONT TO 78W TUE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER NELSON