000 AGXX40 KNHC 171810 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 210 PM EDT FRI AUG 17 2012 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC...AND SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W. GULF OF MEXICO... WESTERN EXTENSION OF ATLC RIDGE ALONG 27N REACHES FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA TO SOUTHERN TEXAS. LIGHT TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC FLOW PREVAILS ACROSS MOST OF THE GULF. NOTABLE EXCEPTION IS IN SW GULF...WHERE A DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRES CENTERED NEAR 20N95W HAS HIGH POTENTIAL TO BRIEFLY INTENSIFY INTO A TROPICAL CYCLONE WITHIN THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS. GLOBAL MODELS SHOW THE LOW TRACKING NNW ALONG THE COAST OF MEXICO BEFORE MOVING INLAND SAT AFTERNOON OR EVENING. A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRES IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST OVER NE MEXICO AND SOUTHERN TEXAS THROUGH WED...SUPPORTING FRESH SE WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF NEXT WEEK. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A TROPICAL WAVE ALONG 62W IS MOVING RAPIDLY WESTWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN. IT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THIS WEEKEND AND MOVE INTO WESTERN PORTIONS BY MON. HIGH PRES RIDGE N OF THE AREA ALONG 27N WILL SUPPORT FRESH WINDS ALL ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN THROUGH MON WITH E WINDS INCREASING TO 20-25 KT IN THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN TUE AND WED AS PRES GRADIENT BECOMES TIGHTER N OF CUBA. ESE WINDS WILL ALSO PICK UP IN THE GULF OF HONDURAS EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 6-7 FT. ANOTHER TROPICAL WAVE IN THE CENTRAL ATLC ALONG 38W IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC TUE. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... SEMI-PERMANENT SUBTROPICAL HIGH S OF BERMUDA WILL SLOWLY SHIFT W THROUGH WED...WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING WEST ALONG 27N TO S CENTRAL FLORIDA. A TROPICAL WAVE S OF 22N ALONG 62W WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHERN WATERS THIS WEEKEND...HELPING TO ENHANCE WINDS S OF 23N. A WEAK TROUGH OVER THE SE UNITED STATES SAT INTO MON WILL INCREASE THE PRES GRADIENT OVER THE NW PORTIONS WITH MODERATE TO FRESH WSW WINDS EXPECTED N OF THE RIDGE AXIS. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL