000 AGXX40 KNHC 031830 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EDT FRI AUG 3 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... WESTERN EXTENSION OF ATLC RIDGE STRETCHES WSW ACROSS N FLORIDA TO WEAK HIGH PRES IN THE NE GULF THEN W ALONG 27N TO THE TEXAS COAST. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE ENTIRE BASIN THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH SEAS 2 FT OR LESS E OF 90W... AND 2-3 FT W OF 90W EXCEPT POSSIBLY TO 4 FT IN EXTREME S BAY OF CAMPECHE SAT AS A WEAK TROPICAL WAVE CROSSES THE ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC. ERNESTO IS EXPECTED TO BE A HURRICANE AS IT REACHES THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WED. WINDS AND SEAS WILL INCREASE TUE IN THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AHEAD OF ERNESTO. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD INTO THE SW GULF WED. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... ATLC RIDGE N OF 30N EXTENDING SW TO N FLORIDA WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A SURFACE TROUGH IN THE BAHAMAS WILL MOVE SLOWLY W-NW ACROSS SE FLORIDA TONIGHT...AND GENERATE ACTIVE DEEP CONVECTION NEAR THE BAHAMAS AND ADJACENT WATERS. LIGHT TO MODERATE E-SE WINDS WITH SEAS 3-4 FT ARE EXPECTED OVER WATERS N OF 23N THROUGH SUN. FRESH TO STRONG E WINDS ARE EXPECTED S OF THE BAHAMAS THIS WEEKEND AS ERNESTO MAKES ITS PATH THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN. SEA HEIGHTS EXPECTED TO BUILD TO 7-9 FT IN E SWELL FOR WATERS S OF 23N. DRY AIR PERSISTING TO THE NW OF ERNESTO MAY CONTINUE TO BECOME ENTRAINED AND YIELD SQUALLS WELL REMOVED FROM THE STORM...ALLOWING FOR STRONG WIND GUSTS TONIGHT AND SAT ACROSS ATLC WATERS OF PUERTO RICO AND ADJACENT ISLANDS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL ATLC W OF 55W... TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO RACING WESTWARD AT 18 KT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE EASTERN AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH SUN NIGHT AND GRADUALLY INTENSIFY. IT IS EXPECTED TO SLOW DOWN AND BECOME A HURRICANE IN WESTERN CARIBBEAN. DUE TO ITS FAST TRANSLATIONAL SPEED...HIGHEST WINDS AND SEAS WILL N TO NE OF THE CYCLONE CENTER....AND MARINE CONDITIONS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS IN SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN. HAZARDOUS MARINE CONDITIONS WILL AFFECT COASTAL WATERS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND MONA PASSAGE SAT...AND SPREAD EAST TO JAMAICA COASTAL WATERS BY SUN. REFER TO WTNT25 KNHC FORECAST ADVISORY FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING AMZ023-033. SW N ATLANTIC... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING AMZ025-035. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL