000 AGXX40 KNHC 251851 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EST WED JAN 25 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 VIGOROUS LOW PRES NEAR 30N97W HAS A TRAILING COLD FRONT INTO NE MEXICO. THE COLD FRONT IS BEGINNING TO MOVE OFF THE COAST OF TEXAS INTO THE NW GULF. FRESH TO STRONG SE WINDS HAVE PERSISTED ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF SINCE MON EVENING...BUILDING SEAS TO 9 FT IN THE NW GULF. GLOBAL MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THE FRONT WILL MAINTAIN A N-S ORIENTATION AND PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG AND LUST EAST OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT MOVES SLOWLY EASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH SAT. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE NW TO N IN THE SW GULF AND W TO NW IN THE NORTHERN GULF. EXPECT SEAS TO BUILD TO 7-8 FT BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH THU NIGHT AND EARLY FRI...DIMINISH FRI THROUGH SAT. A REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR AND STRONG HIGH PRES WILL PLUNGE SOUTHWARD OVER THE WEEKEND...AND WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT E OF 90W SUN NIGHT AND MON. SEAS WILL BUILD AGAIN TO 7-10 FT IN EASTERN GULF. SOUTHWEST N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W AND TROPICAL N ATLC... HIGH PRES RIDGE ALONG 29/30N WILL MAINTAIN LIGHT VARIABLE WINDS NE PART OF SW N ATLC THROUGH FRI WHILE SE WINDS WILL GRADUALLY INCREASE W OF 72W AND VEER S-SW BY FRI NIGHT AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT MOVING EAST ACROSS FLORIDA. A COLD FRONT WILL REACH NW PORTION OF SW N ATLC FRI NIGHT WITH WINDS AHEAD THE FRONT SW AT 20-25 KT. THE MID LEVEL TROUGH WILL FLATTEN OUT AND UPPER WINDS WILL BECOME ZONAL BY SATURDAY...ALLOWING THE FRONT TO SLIDE EAST ALONG THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY AND WEAKEN S OF 27/28N. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY LIGHTEN S OF THE RIDGE AXIS AHEAD OF THE FRONT THEN VEER SE FRI NIGHT AND SAT AS THE RIDGE RECEDES FURTHER EASTWARD. A REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR AND STRONG HIGH PRES WILL PLUNGE SOUTHWARD SUN AND MON...AND N-NW WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20-25 KT W OF THE FRONT SUN NIGHT...THEN VEER NE AS THE FRONT COMPLETES ITS TRANSITION TO A SHEAR LINE ON MON. ELSEWHERE...NE TRADES INCREASE S OF 17N TO 20 KT IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC FRI THROUGH SUN AS THE HIGH PRES RIDGE SHIFTS E OF THE FRONT AND INTENSIFIES. CARIBBEAN SEA... FRESH TO STRONG E-NE TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH MON. THE COLD FRONT MOVING EAST ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL REACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL FRI NIGHT...PUSH INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN THEN WEAKEN SAT AND SUN. NE WINDS WILL INCREASE IN THE NW CARIBBEAN MON AS A SHEAR LINE DEVELOPS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY DUE TO STRONG HIGH PRES PUSHES SOUTHWARD N OF THE AREA. ELSEWHERE...FRESH E-NE WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN FROM EARLY FRI THROUGH MON. 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 MUNDELL