000 AGXX40 KNHC 031838 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 239 PM EDT TUE APR 3 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC FROM 19N TO 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... WEAK 1015 MB HIGH PRES IS IN THE FAR NE GULF NEAR 28N84W WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING TO THE SW TO NEAR 26N92W. 1002 MB LOW PRES IS OVER NE MEXICO NEAR 25N99W WITH AN ATTENDANT TROUGH REACHING FROM THE LOW TO 19N95W. MODERATE TO FRESH SE WINDS ARE OVER THE W GULF WHERE THE PRES GRADIENT IS THE TIGHTEST BETWEEN THE HIGH AND LOW...WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS IN THE E GULF. WINDS WILL VEER TO THE SW AND W ACROSS THE N WATERS THU AND FRI AS LOW PRES MOVES EASTWARD FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE SE CONUS. THIS LOW WILL DRAG A WEAK COLD FRONT ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS THU AND FRI. HIGH PRES WILL REBUILD ACROSS THE GULF FROM THE N LATE FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NE-E WINDS AROUND THE HIGH ACROSS THE GULF BY SAT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE BASIN THROUGH SAT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THIS AFTERNOON... STALLING OUT IN THE NORTHERN PORTION THU AND FRI...AND DISSIPATING BY SAT. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL UP TO 11/12 FT WILL PROPAGATE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT...GRADUALLY DECAYING THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. SOUTHWEST N ATLC FROM 19N TO 31N W OF 55W... A STRONG COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 26N65W TO 26N70W TO 31N80W. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT E OF THE OFFSHORE WATERS ZONE N OF 28N BETWEEN 52W AND 65W. A RECENT ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS AND SHIP OBSERVATIONS IN THE AREA CONFIRM THESE GALE FORCE WINDS. LARGE NW SWELL UP TO 17 FT WILL IMPACT THE NE CORNER OF THE OFFSHORE ZONE N OF 27N E OF 70W THROUGH TONIGHT...SUBSIDING THEREAFTER. THE GALE WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 12 UTC WED AS THE FRONT WEAKENS WHILE CONTINUING EASTWARD. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH WED. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE N WATERS N OF 27/28N WED NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WHICH WILL ENTER THE AREA THU...BECOMING DIFFUSE ACROSS THE NE WATERS BY FRI MORNING. A LOW PRES SYSTEM AND TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL BRING ANOTHER INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. NOTE... EFFECTIVE TODAY AT 1800 UTC THE OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST ZONES CHANGE FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SW N ATLANTIC AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. ISSUANCE TIME FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO OFFSHORE WATERS FORECASTS WILL BE REFERENCED TO THE EASTERN TIME ZONE. FOR DETAILS SEE WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/ABOUTTAFBPROD.SHTML#OWF THE GRAPHICAL FORECAST EDITOR WILL BE USED TO COMPOSE THE OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST...NAVTEX...AND VOBRA. GRIDDED MARINE OUTPUT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE (LOWER CASE). 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 LEWITSKY