000 AGXX40 KNHC 080740 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 AM EST SUN JAN 8 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES IS CENTERED OVER CENTRAL FLORIDA WITH A RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING ACROSS THE GULF ALONG 26N/27N RESULTING IN SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE BASIN. RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE TO 20 KT IN THE FAR W GULF TODAY AS THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. UNTIL THEN MODERATE WINDS AND MAINLY 2-4 FT SEAS IN THE W GULF AND 1-3 FT SEAS IN THE E GULF WILL PREVAIL. THE FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST MON NIGHT REACHING FROM SW LOUISIANA TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE MORNING...FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO N CENTRAL YUCATAN PENINSULA WED MORNING...MOVING E OF THE GULF LATE WED. FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT IN THE NW AND SW GULF WITH MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE CENTRAL AND E GULF. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASING TO 20-25 KT AHEAD OF THE FRONT N OF 25N. WEAK HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT LATE WED THROUGH THU. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN TODAY AS THE PRES GRADIENT WEAKENS WITH MAINLY MODERATE NE-E WINDS ELSEWHERE. THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS SHOWED NE WINDS OF 25 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND NE WINDS OF 20 KT IN THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. A SURFACE TROUGH CONTINUES TO AFFECT THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC PRODUCING SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY AND A ROUND OF FRESH NE-E WINDS. THIS TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE AS IT ENTERS THE FAR E CARIBBEAN TODAY. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE E-SE IN THE NW CARIBBEAN TUE AND WED AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT IN THE GULF OF MEXICO WHICH WILL APPROACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL LATE WED. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES CENTERED OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC NEAR 34N55W EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE ZONE WITH MAINLY MODERATE WINDS. A WEAK TROUGH WILL SKIRT ACROSS THE FAR NORTHERN WATERS TODAY WITH LITTLE IMPACT ON THE SENSIBLE WEATHER CONDITIONS OTHER THAN A WIND SHIFT. OTHERWISE HIGH PRES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TUE. A COLD FRONT FROM THE N WILL CLIP THE NE WATERS TUE AFTERNOON AND EVENING PRODUCING FRESH TO STRONG WLY WINDS MAINLY N OF 29N AND E OF 70W. A SECOND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE FLORIDA COAST WED AND LIE FROM 31N75W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY THU MORNING. EXPECT INCREASING SLY WINDS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WITH MARINE GUIDANCE SUGGESTING WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 KT RANGE. 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