000 AGXX40 KNHC 180606 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 115 AM EST WED JAN 18 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 RIDGE EXTENDING W FROM TAMPA BAY TO 26N96W THIS MORNING WILL RETRACT E AS A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY OVER THE NW WATERS CONTINUES E REACHING A LINE FROM THE FL BIG BEND TO THE MEXICAN COAST AT 22N WED MORNING. SW WINDS AHEAD OF FRONT WILL CONTINUE AT 15 KT...WHILE NE WINDS BEHIND FRONT AT 20-25 KT THIS MORNING WILL DIMINISH TO 15-20 KT THIS AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE E ACROSS THE FL STRAITS THE WESTERN SEGMENT OF THE FRONT WILL BRIEFLY STALL E-W ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GULF ALONG ABOUT 24N THU...WITH A WEAK FRONTAL WAVE BRIEFLY DEVELOPING NEAR 24N96W. AS A POST-FRONTAL SURFACE HIGH PRES SHIFTS E ACROSS THE CONUS ALONG 32N A RIDGE WILL SHIFT S OVER THE NW GULF WATERS WITH ASSOCIATED SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW SETTING UP OVER THE EXTREME NW WATERS LATE TONIGHT AND SPREADING E ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF BY LATE THU...EFFECTIVELY LIFTING THE FRONTAL REMNANTS QUICKLY N AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF COASTAL PLAINS FRI. THE RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN AND EXTEND FROM TAMPA BAY TO NE MEXICO FRI NIGHT INTO EARLY SAT...THEN THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN ALLOWING THE NEXT COLD FRONT TO SLIP OFF THE TX COAST BUT IMMEDIATELY STALL ON SAT AFTERNOON. THE RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN AGAIN SUN PUSHING THESE NEW FRONTAL REMNANTS N OF THE AREA. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W AND TROPICAL N ATLC...A COLD FRONT WASHING OUT FROM 20N55W TO THE MONA PASSAGE WILL CONTINUE SE AND GRADUALLY LOSE IDENTITY OVER THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS E OF THE LEEWARDS THROUGH TONIGHT. A POST FRONTAL RIDGE WILL EXTEND FROM 31N55W TO SE FL THIS MORNING BUT SHIFT E OF THE BAHAMAS THIS AFTERNOON. SLY WINDS NW OF RIDGE AT 20-25 KT IN ADVANCE OF NEXT COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE GA COAST THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM BERMUDA TO THE NW BAHAMAS THU AFTERNOON. BY FRI AFTERNOON THE COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N59W TO 26N65W THEN STATIONARY ACROSS THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS... WITH THE SEGMENT W OF 65W DISSIPATING AS IT LIFTS N ON FRI NIGHT INTO SAT IN ADVANCE OF YET ANOTHER COLD FRONT THAT WILL APPROACH THE NW WATERS...BUT STALL ALONG 32N LATE SUN. CARIBBEAN SEA... STRONG NE LOW LEVEL WINDS CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THROUGH A WEAKENING COLD FRONT EXTENDING E-W ACROSS THE LEEWARDS TO E HISPANIOLA. A LARGE AREA OF NE WINDS AT 20-25 KT PERSIST OVER THE MIDDLE AND E CARIBBEAN WATERS WITH A SMALL AREA OF MINIMAL GALE FORCE EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH THIS MORNING ALONG THE COAST OF NW COLOMBIA. THE RELAXING GRADIENT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN WILL SPREAD E ACROSS THE N CENTRAL WATERS THROUGH THU...THEN TIGHTEN AGAIN FRI NIGHT THROUGH SUN AS WINDS BECOME SE OVER THE NW WATERS. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ084...GALE WARNING FROM 10N TO 12N E OF 77W.... .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER NELSON