000 AGXX40 KNHC 241752 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT TUE APR 24 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... HIGH PRES OVER THE NW GULF WILL MOVE E WED. THE HIGH COMBINED WITH LOWER PRES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL INCREASE SLY RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE NW GULF WED. THE HIGH MOVES E OF THE AREA WED NIGHT. SLY WINDS 20 KT WILL SPREAD EASTWARD AND COVER MUCH OF THE GULF W OF 90W ON FRI AND SAT. THE PRES GRADIENT RELAXES SUN AND WINDS DECREASE TO LESS THAN 20 KT. SW NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... COLD FRONT FROM 30N65W TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WILL MOVE TO THE FAR SE PORTION OF THE AREA WED AND E OF THE AREA THU. W-NW WINDS N OF 28N W OF THE FRONT TODAY AND TONIGHT WILL DECREASE TO 10-15 KT WED. HIGH PRES MOVES FROM FLORIDA TO 27N74W WED AFTERNOON TO 29N68W THU THEN DISSIPATES THU NIGHT WITH A RIDGE ALONG 27N/28N. THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE ATLC RIDGE AND LOWER PRES ACROSS THE SE U.S. INCREASES SW WINDS ACROSS THE FAR NW PORTION OF THE AREA THU NIGHT AND FRI. THE PRES GRADIENT RELAXES OVER THE WEEKEND AND THE WINDS DECREASE. ELY WINDS INCREASE TO 20 KT S OF 23N THU THROUGH SUN AS THE RIDGE ALONG 27N STRENGTHENS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... TROUGH FROM HAITI TO COLOMBIA WILL DRIFT W THROUGH WED AND DISSIPATE LATE THU. RIDGE N OF THE AREA WILL STRENGTHEN THU AND ELY WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN. THE RIDGE MOVES NE AND BY SUN 20 KT WINDS WILL BE CONFINED TO NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. ELY WINDS INCREASE TO 20 KT OVER THE N PORTION OF THE TROPICAL ATLC ZONE OVER THE WEEKEND. 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