000 AGXX40 KNHC 070656 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST SAT JAN 07 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 1022 MB AREA OF HIGH PRES IS CENTERED OVER SW FLORIDA WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING OVER THE ENTIRE GULF WATERS PRODUCING MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND 2-4 FT SEAS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH PRES AND LOWER PRES OVER TEXAS IS RESULTING OF SLY WINDS OF 15 TO 20 KT OVER PARTS OF THE WESTERN GULF. AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF THIS WINDS. THIS WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH MON AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO ENTER THE NW PORTION OF THE GULF. THE FRONT IS FORECAST BY THE COMPUTER MODELS TO REACH FROM SOUTH-CENTRAL LOUISIANA TO NEAR VERACRUZ MEXICO TUE MORNING...AND FRONT THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TUE NIGHT. A LOW PRES IS ALSO EXPECTED TO FORM ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER LOUISIANA ON TUE. AS THE LOW PRES MOVES NE TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES LATE WED...THE FRONT WILL REACH THE FAR SE WATERS AND SOUTH FLORIDA. FRESH TO STRONG NLY WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS OF UP TO 11 FT ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN GULF. EXPECT ALSO INCREASING WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT BY TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A DISSIPATING STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM PUERTO RICO TO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN NEAR 15N75W. THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS SHOWED FRESH TO STRONG WINDS BETWEEN THE FRONT THE COAST OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC...INCLUDING THE MONA PASSAGE. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO NOTED NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. OTHERWISE MODERATE NE-E WINDS EXIST ACROSS THE BASIN. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL DIMINISH THIS WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE PRES GRADIENT OVER THE REGION WEAKENS AND BROADENS. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE E-SE IN THE NW CARIBBEAN TUE AND WED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO. MEANWHILE...LARGE MIXED NE AND NW SWELL IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE THIS WEEKEND. A SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FAR SOUTHERN TROPICAL N ATLC THIS WEEKEND BRINGING A BRIEF SURGE OF FRESH NE-E WINDS WITH SEAS TO AROUND 11 FT IN NE SWELL TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEAS WILL SUBSIDE TO NEAR 9 FT LATE SUN. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES CENTERED NEAR 28N69W DOMINATES MOST OF THE REGION PRODUCING MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS. HOWEVER...FRESH NE WINDS CAN BE FOUND OVER THE SE WATERS DUE TO THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THIS HIGH AND THE FRONT THAT CROSSES THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE AREA AND PUERTO RICO. MEANWHILE LARGE NW SWELL OVER THE WATERS E OF 70W WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE TODAY. A WEAKER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN WATERS LATE TODAY THROUGH SUN WITH LITTLE IMPACT ON THE SENSIBLE WEATHER. A THIRD COLD FRONT MAY DROP TO ALONG 31N TUE QUICKLY SHIFTING E OF THE AREA WED. OTHERWISE HIGH PRES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE REGION WITH MAINLY MODERATE EASTERLY WINDS AND SUBSIDING SEAS. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS FORECAST TO INCREASE OVER THE NW PORTION BY MIDWEEK AS A STRONG COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE W. 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