000 AGXX40 KNHC 060659 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST THU FRI 06 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 1025 MB HIGH PRES CENTERED NEAR 27N88W EXTENDS A RIDGE OVER THE ENTIRE GULF WATERS PRODUCING MAINLY 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 MOVE TOWARDS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA TODAY 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 SE LOUISIANA TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE AFTERNOON...FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA LATE TUE THEN FROM NEAR TAMPA BAY TO NE YUCATAN PENINSULA WED AFTERNOON AND SE OF THE AREA WED NIGHT. MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 11 FT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM PUERTO RICO TO THE SW CARIBBEAN NEAR 10N81W. FRESH TO STRONG N-NE WINDS ARE W OF THE FRONT TO ABOUT 83W WITH MODERATE NE-E WINDS E OF THE FRONT...AS INDICATED BY SCATTEROMETER DATA AND SOME SHIP AND BUOY REPORTS. SEAS OF UP TO 10 FT ARE NOTED OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...PARTICULARLY S OF HISPANIOLA. SCATTERED SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT CONTINUE TO IMPACT PUERTO RICO...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS AND REGIONAL WATERS. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE ALSO NOTED NEAR AND W OF THE FRONT MAINLY OVER THE SW CARIBBEAN. THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE TODAY 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 MOVES THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A REINFORCING COLD FRONT IS CLIPPING THE N WATERS AND EXTENDS FROM 31N72W TO 29N73W. WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT CAN BE FOUND EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT N OF 29N. THE MOST RECENT WINDSAT PASS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF THESE WIND SPEEDS. AS THE FRONT MOVES EWD AND AWAY FROM THE AREA THIS MORNING...WINDS WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE N WATERS. LONG PERIOD NE SWELLS ARE RAISING SEAS TO 12 FT OVER THE WATERS E OF 70W. THIS SWELL WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TO LESS THAN 9 FT BY SAT MORNING. A WEAKER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN WATERS SAT NIGHT 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 GR/JL