000 AGXX40 KNHC 051830 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 PM EST THU JAN 05 2012 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 STATIONARY FRONT IS ALONG THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COASTLINES WITH LITTLE IMPACT TO THE OFFSHORE WATERS. THE FRONT WILL LIFT BACK TO THE NW AS A WARM FRONT LATER TODAY. 1028 MB HIGH PRES IS CENTERED NEAR 26N91W WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND 2-4 FT SEAS SW OF THE HIGH...AND 1-3 FT SEAS NE OF THE HIGH. THE HIGH WILL DRIFT E BECOMING CENTERED OVER FLORIDA SAT WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW SETTING UP ACROSS THE GULF FOR THE WEEKEND. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO MODERATE TO FRESH LEVELS SUN AND MON AS THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW GULF MON REACHING FROM S CENTRAL LOUISIANA TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE MORNING... THEN FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA LATE TUE. MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. AN AREA OF LOW PRES MAY DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FRONT ALTHOUGH THERE REMAINS A GREAT DEAL OF UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE LOCATION AND POSSIBLE STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM AT THIS TIME. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL PUERTO RICO TO 14N75W TO PANAMA NEAR 09N81W. FRESH TO STRONG N-NE WINDS ARE W OF THE FRONT WITH MODERATE NE-E WINDS E OF THE FRONT...AS INDICATED BY A 1350 UTC ASCAT PASS. SEAS ARE UP TO 11 FT IN THE SW CARIBBEAN AT THE TAIL END OF THE NORTHEASTERLY FETCH GENERATION ZONE. SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUE TO IMPACT PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...ALONG WITH AREAS W OF THE FRONT WHERE COLD AIR ALOFT CONTINUES TO STREAM ACROSS WARMER WATERS. THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE TONIGHT ALTHOUGH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS WILL PERSIST IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WHERE THE PRES GRADIENT WILL REMAIN TIGHT. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE SE IN THE NW CARIBBEAN TUE AS A COLD FRONT MARCHES THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... LARGE NW SWELL TO 16 FT LINGERS OVER THE WATERS E OF 70W. THIS SWELL WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TO LESS THAN 12 FT BY FRI MORNING ...THEN TO LESS THAN 8 FT BY SAT MORNING. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN WATERS TODAY...PUSHING E OF 65W BY FRI MORNING AND THEN E OF 55W FRI NIGHT. FRESH TO STRONG W-NW WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT MAINLY N OF 28N/29N. A WEAKER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN WATERS LATE SAT THROUGH SUN. OTHERWISE...WEAK HIGH PRES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE BASIN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE W. THIS FRONT WILL LIKELY IMPACT THE SW N ATLC ZONE BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. 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 LEWITSKY