000 AGXX40 KNHC 310631 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT SAT MAR 31 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 PAIR OF MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGHS ARE MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO OVERNIGHT...HELPING TO INDUCE SCATTERED SHOWER AND ISOLATED TSTM ACROSS THE NORTH WATERS. OTHERWISE...A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDS ALONG 25N FROM THE WESTERN ATLC TO NORTHERN MEXICO. A WEAK HIGH PRES AREA WILL FORM ALONG THIS RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN GULF SUN. ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE HIGH PRES...MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OFF THE TEXAS COAST. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS TO 20 KT LATE MON INTO TUE WITH BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 7 FT DUE TO THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH PRES IN THE EASTERN GULF AND LOWER PRES OVER TEXAS. WINDS WILL DIMINISH ON WED AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE COAST OF TEXAS. SOUTHWEST N ATLC FROM 19N TO 31N W OF 55W... A 1021 MB HIGH PRES LOCATED NEAR 28N70W EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE THROUGH SUN N OF 27N BETWEEN N FLORIDA AND BERMUDA...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL SHIFT EASTWARD N OF THE AREA FROM THE CAROLINAS TO BERMUDA. A TROUGH WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT...LEAVING MODERATE NW FLOW OVER MUCH OF THE AREA SUN INTO MON BEHIND THE TROUGH. WINDS N OF 29N WILL INCREASE AGAIN MON AHEAD OF ANOTHER...STRONGER...COLD FRONT THAT WILL PUSH SOUTH OF 31N BY MON NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL PUSH SOUTH AND EXTEND FROM 26N55W TO 19N65W BY TUE EVENING. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH TUE AS THE FRONT SHIFTS EAST...BUT NORTH SWELL WITH HEIGHTS OF 9 TO 14 FT WILL PUSH AS FAR S AS 22N E OF 70W BY WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... FRESH NE-E TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...EXCEPT FOR ENHANCED FLOW NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF COLOMBIA OCCASIONALLY TO 20-25 KT. WINDS OF 20 KT ARE BLOWING ACROSS THE GULF OF HONDURAS AND E CARIBBEAN AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MON. SCATTEROMETER DATA CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE OF THESE WIND SPEEDS. 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