000 AGXX40 KNHC 191857 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST THU JAN 19 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 QUASI STATIONARY FRONT IS DISSIPATING ACROSS THE SE WATERS WITH NE WINDS OF 10 TO 15 KT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT OVER THE EASTERN GULF. MAINLY LIGHT TO GENTLE BREEZE CAN BE FOUND ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION. SE-S 15-20 KT WINDS WILL COVER ALL GULF WATERS TONIGHT AND FRI WITH A RIDGE AXIS ALONG THE N WATERS. THE GRADIENT WILL RELAX SOME ON SAT SUPPORTING SLY 10-15 KT WINDS AS THE NEXT COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE COAST OF TEXAS SAT AFTERNOON...BUT IMMEDIATELY STALLS SAT EVENING. THE RIDGE WILL STRENGTHEN AGAIN SUN FROM TAMPA BAY TO SE TEXAS PUSHING THESE NEW FRONTAL REMNANTS BRIEFLY N OF THE AREA. THE RIDGE WILL WEAKEN AGAIN SUN NIGHT WITH THE FRONT MOVING BACK OFFSHORE REACHING FROM THE FL PANHANDLE TO SOUTH TEXAS/NE MEXICO MON AFTERNOON...AND THEN STALLING E TO W ACROSS THE GULF ALONG 28N MON EVENING...AND LIFTING N AGAIN LATE MON NIGHT. EXPECT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TIMING OF THESE FRONTAL EVENTS IN FUTURE PACKAGES. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W AND TROPICAL N ATLC... A COLD FRONT FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N72W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WILL REACH FROM 31N65W TO THE SE BAHAMAS TONIGHT...THEN WEAKEN AND CONTINUE E OF AREA BY FRI NIGHT. CURRENTLY...SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOW NLY WINDS OF 20 KT BEHIND THE FRONT AND SW WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT N OF 27N AND AHEAD THE FRONT TO 62W. AS THE FRONT MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA...A RIDGE WILL SETTLE ACROSS THE ZONE EXTENDING FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL FLORIDA SAT THROUGH MON. ELY WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE ARE EXPECTED ON THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFF GA/FL BORDER MON EVENING..REACHING A POSITION FROM 31N75W TO 28N80W AROUND SUNRISE TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA... NE TO E WINDS AT 20-25 KT ARE NOTED OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN PER SCATTEROMETER DATA AND FEW SHIP OBSERVATIONS WINDS MODERATE WINDS ELSEWHERE. AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA...THE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN LATE TONIGHT INCREASING WINDS TO 25-30 KT OVER THE S-CENTRAL PART...AND 15-20 KT ELSEWHERE WITH LITTLE CHANGE EXPECTED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. 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/MN