000 AGXX40 KNHC 251807 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT WED APR 25 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 NE GULF WILL MOVE E OF THE AREA TONIGHT. THE HIGH COMBINED WITH LOWER PRES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS HAS INCREASED SLY RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE NW GULF. BUOYS IN THE NW GULF ARE REPORTING SLY WINDS 20 KT WITH SEAS 5-7 FT. THE 20 KT SLY WINDS WILL SPREAD EASTWARD AND COVER MUCH OF THE GULF W OF 90W ON FRI AND SAT. THE PRES GRADIENT RELAXES SUN AND MON WITH WINDS DECREASING TO LESS THAN 20 KT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... STATIONARY FRONT FROM 25N65W TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC WILL DISSIPATE LATER TONIGHT. HIGH PRES MOVES FROM FLORIDA TO 28N72W TONIGHT AND TO 30N66W 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 TONIGHT THROUGH MON AS THE RIDGE ALONG 27N STRENGTHENS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... TROUGH FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO COLOMBIA WILL DRIFT W THROUGH THU AND DISSIPATE FRI. RIDGE N OF THE AREA WILL STRENGTHEN THU AND ELY WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN. SEAS WILL BUILD 9-12 FT FROM 11N TO 16N BETWEEN 75W-80W. THE RIDGE MOVES NE AND BY SUN AND THE 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 INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. 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