000
AGXX40 KNHC 040725
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
300 AM EDT WED APR 4 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 PERSISTS IN THE FAR NE GULF NEAR 28N84W 
WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING TO THE SW ACROSS THE CENTRAL GULF WATERS. 
A 1004 MB LOW PRES IS OVER NE MEXICO NEAR 26N100W WITH AN 
ATTENDANT TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE LOW SE TO NEAR 18N96W. DUE 
TO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE HIGH AND THE LOW...MODERATE 
TO FRESH SE WINDS CONTINUE TO BLOW OVER THE W GULF 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 LATE THU INTO 
FRI THEN MOVE S AND REACH THE SE WATERS LATE FRI AS HIGH PRES 
REBUILDS ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE N. EXPECT MODERATE TO FRESH 
NE-E WINDS AROUND THE HIGH ACROSS THE GULF SAT AND SUN.

CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W...
MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE BASIN THROUGH 
SUN. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND 
IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS. A FRONTAL TROUGH HAS REACHED THE 
NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. THIS TROUGH WILL 
STALL OUT IN THE NORTHERN PORTION THU AND FRI...AND DISSIPATE 
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 GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT E OF THE OFFSHORE WATERS ZONE N 
OF 29N BETWEEN 44W AND 46W. EARLIER SCATTEROMETER DATA CONFIRMED 
THESE WIND SPEEDS. THE GALE WARNING WILL EXPIRE THIS MORNING AS 
THE FRONT WEAKENS WHILE CONTINUING EASTWARD. LARGE NW SWELL UP 
TO 14-15 FT WILL IMPACT THE NE CORNER OF THE OFFSHORE ZONE N OF 
27N E OF 70W TODAY...SUBSIDING TONIGHT. THE 0200 UTC ASCAT PASS 
PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF NW WINDS IN THE 20-25 KT RANGE OVER THE 
NE CORNER. THESE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A VIGOROUS 
EXTRATROPICAL CYCLONE SPINNING OVER THE N-CENTRAL ATLC. 
NOW...THE AREA IN UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A 1017 MB HIGH PRES 
CENTERED NEAR 29N73W. THIS HIGH WILL MOVE SE ACROSS THE AREA 
DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. 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 FRI AND SAT.
 
NOTE...
EFFECTIVE APR 3, 2012 AT 1800 UTC THE OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST 
ZONES CHANGED FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SW N ATLANTIC AND THE GULF 
OF MEXICO. ISSUANCE TIME FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO OFFSHORE WATERS 
FORECASTS IS REFERENCED TO THE EASTERN TIME ZONE. FOR DETAILS 
SEE WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/ABOUTTAFBPROD.SHTML#OWF

GRIDDED MARINE OUTPUT IS 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 GR