000 AGXX40 KNHC 041803 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 PM EDT THU OCT 4 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... A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND REGION TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. LATEST SCATTEROMETER...SHIP...AND BUOY DATA DEPICT LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE GULF WATERS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 2 TO 3 FT OVER THE EASTERN GULF AND 2 FT OR LESS OVER THE WESTERN GULF. THE TROUGH WILL DISSIPATE TONIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PREVAIL OVER THE GULF WATERS FRI AND SAT WITH GENTLE TO MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC WINDS PREVAILING ACROSS THE GULF WATERS THROUGH SAT. A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST SAT NIGHT WITH FRESHENED WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO SOUTHERN TEXAS SUN MORNING...THEN REACH FROM N CENTRAL FLORIDA TO SOUTHERN TEXAS MON MORNING WHERE IT WILL STALL. SOUTHWEST NORTH ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... WEAKENING HIGH PRES IS CENTERED JUST N OF THE AREA. LATEST SCATTEROMETER...SHIP...AND BUOY DATA DEPICT LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS N OF 23N AND GENTLE TO MODERATE WINDS S OF 23N. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 3 TO 5 FT N OF 23N AND 5 TO 7 FT S OF 23N E OF THE BAHAMAS...AND 1 TO 2 FT N OF 23N AND 3 TO 5 FT S OF 23N W OF THE BAHAMAS. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN TONIGHT AS A TROUGH SHIFTS AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF THIS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE SW N ATLC WATERS. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL FORM ALONG THE TROUGH BY FRI WITH FRESH WINDS PRIMARILY OVER THE NW QUADRANT OF THE LOW WHERE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL BE TIGHTEST. THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY DRIFT WESTWARD OVER THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH MON. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... HIGH PRESSURE IS CENTERED N OF THE AREA WITH A TROPICAL WAVE IN THE EASTERN WATERS. LATEST SCATTEROMETER...SHIP...AND BUOY DATA DEPICT MODERATE TO FRESH TRADEWINDS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...WITH FRESH TO STRONG TRADES PREVAILING OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WATERS. SEAS ARE GENERALLY 4 TO 7 FT...EXCEPT 7 TO 9 FT OVER THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC WATERS. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER N OF THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN TONIGHT. THIS WILL LOOSEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE CARIBBEAN WATERS AND DECREASE TRADEWINDS ACROSS THE AREA BY FRI MORNING. THE TROPICAL WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN FRI...AND THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SAT AND SUN. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLANTIC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL