000 AGXX40 KNHC 250635 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 140 AM EST SAT FEB 25 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 COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NORTHERN FLORIDA TO THE SW GULF DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. GALE FORCE WINDS PREVAIL S OF 26N W OF THE FRONT AS DEPICTED BY LATEST ASCAT PASS. THE GALE FORCE WINDS WILL PREVAIL S OF 22N W OF THE FRONT THROUGH THIS EVENING BEFORE DIMINISHING BELOW GALE FORCE. THE FRONT WILL BECOME STATIONARY OVER THE GULF LATE TODAY AND WEAKEN TO A TROUGH OVER THE SW GULF SUN. THE TROUGH WILL THEN DISSIPATE THROUGH MON AS A RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR N PART OF THE AREA LATE WED NIGHT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... A RIDGE OF HIGH PRES EXTENDS ACROSS THE SW N ATLC WATERS. A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE AREA WITH FRESH NW WINDS W OF THE FRONT AND FRESH TO STRONG SW WINDS WITHIN 210 NM E OF THE FRONT. THE COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA LATE SAT THEN DISSIPATE OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA SUN AND SUN NIGHT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN ITS WAKE. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL FRESHEN OVER THE NW PART OF THE AREA WED AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE SE COAST OF THE US EARLY THU. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS PREVAIL OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN. RECENT ASCAT PASS DEPICTS 30 KT WINDS FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 76W. AT THESE WIND SPEEDS...THERE IS A 5 KT LOW BIAS AND GALE FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY IN THIS AREA. A GALE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS AREA. WITH STRONG HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUING N OF THE AREA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...THE FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE AREA WHILE GALE FORCE WINDS WILL CONTINUE OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ082...GALE WARNING W OF FRONT THROUGH THIS EVENING. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ084-086...GALE WARNING FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 74W AND 76W. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL