000 AGXX40 KNHC 070803 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM EDT SAT APR 7 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 COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR NAPLES FLORIDA TO 26N87W. BUOYS OVER THE FAR NE GULF OF MEXICO ARE SHOWING NE WINDS INCREASING AS A REINFORCING SHOT OF COOLER AND DRIER AIR PUSHES SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE FRONT. THESE WINDS DIMINISH THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS MODIFIES. EASTERLY WINDS INCREASE AGAIN LATER TODAY OVER THE FAR SE GULF AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE CAROLINAS. THE STRONG ENE WINDS THROUGH THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA WILL INTERACT WITH THE GULF STREAM CURRENT TO PRODUCE SEAS AS HIGH AS 9 FT IN THE FAR SE GULF BY EARLY SUN. THE WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH BY LATE SUN AS THE HIGH PRES WEAKENS AND SHIFTS SOUTH. THIS WILL LEAVE LIGHT TO MODERATE GENERALLY EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE GULF MON THROUGH WED AS RIDGING REMAINS IN PLACE ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST. CARIBBEAN SEA... HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN LIGHT TO MODERATE NE TO E TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN THROUGH EARLY SUN. BUOY AND ALTIMETER DATA SHOW SEAS TO BE GENERALLY ONLY 2 TO 4 FT ACROSS THE BASIN. THE EXCEPTION IS SOUTH OF THE MONA PASSAGE WHERE N SWELL OF 4 TO 6 FT IS PUSHING INTO THE AREA...REACHING AT LEAST AS FAR SOUTH AS BUOY 42059 NEAR 15N67W WHERE SEAS TO 5 FT WERE NOTED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL HOURS. THE HIGH PRES WILL SHIFT S TO 29N BY LATE SUN...ALLOWING NE WINDS TO INCREASE THROUGH THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND OFF THE SOUTHERN COAST OF CUBA. THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH MON AS THE HIGH PRES TO THE NORTH WEAKENS AND SHIFTS EAST....ALLOWING E FLOW TO INCREASE OVER THE FAR EASTERN CARIBBEAN BY THE LESSER ANTILLES FROM LATE MON TO WED. TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... BUOYS 41043 AND 41041 NE OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS ARE SHOWING N SWELL IS PERSISTING...BUT HAS DECAYED TO 4 TO 5 FT OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS. MEANWHILE BUOYS 41101 AND 41040 ALONG 15N ARE SHOWING MIXED SWELL MAINLY FROM THE N WITH HEIGHTS TO 8 FT BUT SUBSIDING. LIGHT TO MODERATE E TO SE WINDS ARE NOTED...AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH MON. HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA WILL BUILD ALLOWING THE E TRADES TO INCREASE TO 20 KT TUE AND WED. SOUTHWEST N ATLC FROM 19N TO 31N W OF 55W... A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N71W TO NEAR MIAMI THIS MORNING. AN EARLIER ASCAT PASS FROM 0240 UTC SHOWED N WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND THE FRONT IN THE WATERS N OF 29N W OF 73W. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH E AND REACH FROM 31N63W TO 26N70W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY EARLY SUN...BEFORE STALLING FROM 31N55W TO 25N64W TO EASTERN CUBA MON. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DIMINISH OVER THE WATERS N OF 25N BY TONIGHT AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ALONG 29N BEHIND THE FRONT. FRESH NE TRADES WILL PERSIST S OF MAINLY 22N SUN INTO MON S OF THE RIDGE. N SWELL WILL DECAY AS IT PUSHES S SUN INTO MON. GENERALLY LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS WILL PREVAIL MON INTO TUE. SW WINDS WILL INCREASE N OF 28N BY LATE TUE AHEAD OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE CAROLINAS N OF THE AREA. THE FRONT WILL PUSH S OF 31N BY EARLY WED...REACHING FROM 31N75W TO NE FLORIDA FOLLOWED BY NW WINDS TO 20 KT. 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 CHRISTENSEN