000 AGXX40 KNHC 010648 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 140 AM EST THU MAR 1 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 HIGH PRES RIDGE PREVAILS ACROSS THE AREA. LATEST ASCAT DATA ALONG WITH SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE LIGHT TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF WATERS WITH SEAS 1 TO 2 FT OVER THE E GULF AND 2 TO 4 FT OVER THE W GULF. THE RIDGE WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE GULF WATERS THROUGH FRI BEFORE RETREATING EASTWARD ENABLING A COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRI NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL RAPIDLY SHIFT ACROSS THE GULF WATERS...REACHING FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE SAT NIGHT...AND MOVE SE OF THE AREA SUN NIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO STRONG TO NEAR GALE BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE NW GULF WATERS BEHIND THE FRONT LATE FRI INTO EARLY SAT...AND INCREASE TO GALE FORCE W OF THE FRONT OVER THE SW GULF WATERS SAT AFTERNOON THROUGH SUN MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT AND PREVAIL THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS OVER THE N PART OF THE AREA. LATEST ASCAT PASS ALONG WITH SHIP AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS INDICATE MODERATE TO FRESH TRADEWINDS S OF THE RIDGE WITH MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHERLY WINDS N OF THE RIDGE AXIS. THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN CONTROL OVER THE AREA THROUGH SAT BEFORE RETREATING EASTWARD. THIS WILL ENABLE A COLD FRONT TO SHIFT OFF THE SE COAST OF THE US ON SAT NIGHT AND REACH ACROSS THE NW PART OF THE AREA BY SUN MORNING...FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO CENTRAL CUBA SUN NIGHT...AND FROM 29N65W TO CENTRAL CUBA BY MON EVENING. FRESH TO STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL PREVAIL OVER THE NW PART OF THE AREA FRI NIGHT AND SAT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WITH FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... HIGH PRES RIDGE PREVAILS N OF THE AREA WITH LATEST SATELLITE DERIVED SURFACE WINDS ALONG WITH SHIP DATA INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS CONTINUE ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN SECTION OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE N OF THE AREA HAS WEAKENED...AND LATEST OBSERVATIONS INDICATE WINDS BELOW GALE FORCE OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. HOWEVER...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO PULSE TO MINIMAL GALE THROUGH SAT...SO WILL KEEP GALE WARNING UP OVER THIS AREA FOR NOW. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN WATERS SUN NIGHT WHERE IT WILL STALL. WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ082...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 25N W OF 95W SAT AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SUN... .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .AMZ084 AND AMZ086...GALE WARNING FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 73W AND 77W. .SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT HTTP://WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL