000 AGXX40 KNHC 161749 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT MON APR 16 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN ATLC HIGH PRES AND COLD FRONT MOVING ACROSS TEXAS RESULTS IN BRISK WINDS ACROSS MOST TO THE GULF. WINDS DIMINISH THIS EVENING AS HIGH PRES WEAKENS. COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF COAST OF TEXAS AND STALL ALONG 90W LATE TUE THEN LIFT NE AND DISSIPATE TUE NIGHT. ATLC RIDGE REBUILDS W OVER NORTHERN GULF WATERS THU. ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE NW GULF SAT. THE LATEST GFS MODEL RUN IS MUCH STRONGER WITH THE FRONT COMPARED TO THE 06Z RUN. CARIBBEAN SEA... ATLC HIGH PRES CENTER N OF AREA WITH TIGHTENED PRES GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA WITH STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE NE WINDS AND SEAS TO 10-12 FT ACROSS ATLC PASSAGES INTO CARIBBEAN SEA. HIGH PRES WEAKENS LATE TUE WITH DIMINISHING WINDS LATE TUE THROUGH THU WITH WINDS LESS THAN 20 KT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA BY SAT. TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... WEAKENING COLD FRONT FROM 17N55W TO 15N61W WILL BECOME DIFFUSE TONIGHT. NE WINDS TO 20 KT AND SEAS TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. WINDS DECREASE TO LESS THAN 20 KT LATE TUE AND REMAIN BELOW 20 KT THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. SW NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... BROAD SURFACE HIGH PRES RIDGE ALONG 31N PRODUCING MODERATE TO STRONG NE WINDS ACROSS THE S PORTION OF THE AREA...WITH LIGHT WINDS ACROSS THE N PORTION OF THE AREA. THE HIGH MOVES S AND WEAKENS LATE TUE WITH DIMINISHING WINDS...HOWEVER ELY WINDS REMAIN AT 20 KT ACROSS THE BAHAMAS THROUGH TUE NIGHT. SLY WINDS INCREASE TO 20 KT OVER THE NW PORTION OF THE AREA AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT 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 DGS