000 AGXX40 KNHC 050659 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 315 AM EDT THU APR 5 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... A SQUALL LINE MOVED SE ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF OVERNIGHT AND NOW EXTENDS FROM NAPLES FLORIDA TO WESTERN CUBA CROSSING JUST W OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT EASTWARD DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING. AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS INDICATED GUSTY WINDS OF 30-40 KT ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONGER CONVECTION. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR TSTMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE MENTIONED IN THE OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST TO COVER THOSE CONDITIONS. A SECOND AND WEAKER AREA OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS MOVING EWD JUST SOUTH OF THE LOUISIANA COAST WILL ALSO PRODUCE SQUALLS. WEAK RIDGING PERSISTS AT THE SURFACE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS EXTENDING FROM A HIGH PRES ACROSS THE WEST CENTRAL ATLC. MAINLY MODERATE SE-S WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE GULF ALONG WITH 2-4 FT SEAS. WINDS WILL VEER TO THE SW AND W LATER TODAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION TODAY AND FRI REACHING THE SE WATERS LATE FRI...MOVING S OF THE GULF BY EARLY SAT. HIGH PRES WILL REBUILD ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE N THIS WEEKEND. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15-20 KT IN THE N CENTRAL AND NE GULF BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE BASIN THROUGH EARLY SAT BEFORE WEAKENING SUN AND MON. A DECAYING FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW CARIBBEAN FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO LATE FRI INTO SAT WHERE IT WILL STALL OUT AND BECOME DIFFUSE DURING THE WEEKEND. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 20 KT IN THE LEE OF CUBA AND WINDWARD PASSAGE BY LATE SUN AND MON AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS DOWN OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN FROM THE N. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT IS IN THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. THIS FRONT WILL STALL OUT IN THE NORTHERN PORTION THROUGH FRI...DISSIPATING BY SAT. LONG PERIOD NW SWELL OF 8-11 FT WILL PROPAGATE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC BEHIND THE FRONT...GRADUALLY DECAYING BY FRI. SOUTHWEST N ATLC FROM 19N TO 31N W OF 55W... NORTHERLY SWELL OF 8-12 FT CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE WATERS N OF 22N E OF 70W ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA EARLIER THIS WEEK. THESE SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TO 8 FT OR LESS THIS MORNING. CURRENTLY...A WEAK RIDGE DOMINATES MOST OF THE REGION. WINDS ARE MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE ALONG THE RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING ALONG 25N-26N BUT ARE BEGINNING TO INCREASE N OF 27N WHERE THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS SHOWED SW WINDS OF 15-20 KT. THE RIDGE WILL MOVE EWD AS A LOW PRES DEVELOPS JUST OFFSHORE THE GEORGIA COAST ON FRI. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO DRAG A TRAILING COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION FRI THROUGH SUN WITH N-NE 20-30 KT WINDS BEHIND IT. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 12-14 FT N OF 27N LATE FRI THROUGH LATE SAT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH SUN AS THE FRONT EXITS THE AREA WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING IN FROM THE W-NW. 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