000 AGXX40 KNHC 240633 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 140 AM EST FRI FEB 24 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN FLORIDA TO THE COAST OF MEXICO WITH FRESH TO STRONG S TO SW RETURN FLOW OVER THE W PART OF THE AREA N OF THE RIDGE AXIS AS DEPICTED BY THE LATEST CMAN AND BUOY DATA. THE RIDGE WILL RETREAT EASTWARD OVERNIGHT ENABLING A COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE CENTRAL MEXICO COAST BY THIS AFTERNOON...AND FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE TONIGHT. GALE FORCE WINDS WILL PREVAIL BEHIND THE FRONT S OF 26N THROUGH SAT NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY OVER THE GULF WATERS LATE SAT AND WEAKEN TO A TROUGH OVER THE SW GULF WATERS SUN. THE TROUGH WILL THEN DISSIPATE THROUGH TUE AS A RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF WATERS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MINIMAL GALES OFF OF COLOMBIA SUN-MON WITH HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED DUE N OF THE AREA. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS ACROSS THE SW N ATLC WATERS WITH FRESH SOUTHERLY FLOW PREVAILING N OF THE RIDGE AXIS OVER THE NW PART OF THE AREA AS DEPICTED BY LATEST WINDSAT PASS. THE SURFACE RIDGE WILL START TO RETREAT EASTWARD TODAY ENABLING A COLD FRONT TO SHIFT OFF THE SE COAST OF THE UNITED STATES THIS EVENING. THE COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA LATE SAT THEN DISSIPATE OVER THE SE WATERS SUN AND SUN NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ITS WAKE. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ080-082...GALE WARNING FRI-SAT. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL