000 AGXX40 KNHC 130726 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 AM EST FRI JAN 13 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A RATHER STRONG COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE GULF WATERS AND EXTENDS FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA TO 23N90W TO NEAR VERACRUZ MEXICO. THE 0636 UTC HI RESOLUTION ASCAT ALONG WITH SURFACE DATA SHOWED NLY WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT THAT IS FORECAST TO EXIST THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ACROSS THE GULF IN ITS WAKE THROUGH SUN...HOWEVER A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS MAINTAINING N-NE WINDS OF ABOUT 15-20 KT AND SEAS OF 6-8 FT THERE. AS HIGH PRES SHIFTS E SUN AND MON...WINDS WILL VEER TO THE SE AND S AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT THAT IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE NW GULF TUE. A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE FAR SE WATERS AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL IS PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS THERE. THIS FRONT IS FORECAST TO MERGE WITH THE STRONG COLD FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE GULF TODAY. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS AND A COUPLE OF SHIP REPORTS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 25 TO 30 KT WINDS OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. LATEST MODEL RUNS STILL HINT THAT WINDS ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THE EAST AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN BEGINNING TODAY AS ATLC HIGH PRES BUILDS SW INTENSIFYING THE PRES GRADIENT INTO SUN BEFORE WEAKENING SOME INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. AS MENTION IN PREVIOUS FORECASTS...30 METER MODEL WIND GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THAT WINDS MAY INCREASE TO 25 KT OVER MUCH OF THE AREA WITH 30 KT ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDS REACHING 35 KT THROUGH EARLY SUN. WINDS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO DECREASE MUCH INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE STRONG PRES GRADIENT HOLDS FIRMLY IN PLACE. THE STRONG GULF OF MEXICO COLD FRONT WILL MERGE WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE STATIONARY FRONT PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED TODAY WITH STRONG HIGH BUILDING SE FROM THE GULF INTO MUCH OF THE NW CARIBBEAN THROUGH SUN. THE RESULTANT PRES GRADIENT WILL FORTIFY THE ALREADY PRESENT NE WINDS OF 15-20 KT INTO 20-25 KT WINDS SAT AFTERNOON INTO MON. WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE BUILDS SEAS THERE TO 9 FT...AND TO POSSIBLY 13 OR 14 FT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA TODAY INTO EARLY SAT BEFORE SUBSIDING TO AROUND 11 OR 12 FT SUN INTO TUE. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N75W SW TO ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER COLD FRONT HAS MOVED INTO THE FAR NW PORTION OF THE ZONE. FRESH TO STRONG SW WINDS ARE NOTED PER AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS BETWEEN FRONTS MAINLY N OF 28N. ACCORDING TO THE MARINE GUIDANCE...THE SECOND FRONT WILL MOVE QUICKLY REACHING FROM 31N72W TO WESTERN CUBA THIS AFTERNOON AND MERGING WITH THE REMNANTS OF THE FIRST FRONT. THE MERGING FRONT WILL REACH FROM 31N70W TO CENTRAL CUBA THIS EVENING...FROM NEAR 31N65W TO EASTERN CUBA SAT EVENING...THEN WEAKEN AND STALL ON SUN. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL BUILD SE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH TUE AND STRENGTHEN. THE RESULTANT PRES GRADIENT WILL BRING FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE WATERS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. NW WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT WITH BUILDING SEAS OF UP TO 14 FT N OF 29N AND E OF 75W BY SUN. 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