000 AGXX40 KNHC 251836 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 230 PM EDT THU OCT 25 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... WIND OBSERVATIONS IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT FAR SE CORNER OF THE GULF INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG NE FLOW...ON THE FAR WESTERN PERIPHERY OF HURRICANE SANDY NOW EMERGING OFF WESTERN CUBA AND MOVING INTO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS. THE WINDS WILL PERSIST BUT START TO BACK MORE TO THE N TO NW FRI INTO SAT AS SANDY MIGRATES N THROUGH THE BAHAMAS. SEAS IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA ARE ELEVATED IN PART DUE TO THE EASTERLY COMPONENT OF THE WINDS FLOW AGAINST THE CURRENT. SEAS WILL SUBSIDE SLIGHTLY AS THE WINDS START TO BACK. MEANWHILE A COLD FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL PUSH INTO THE FAR NW GULF WATERS ON FRI...REACHING FROM FROM THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO S TEXAS SAT...FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO 25N88W TO 22N97W BY EARLY SUN...AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO NORTHERN YUCATAN BY EARLY MON. GLOBAL MODELS ARE FAIRLY CLOSE AGREEMENT SHOWING A BROAD H5 TROUGH PUSHING THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE FRONT WILL INITIALLY BE FAIRLY WEAK...BUT A REINFORCING SHOT OF COOLER AIR MOVING SOUTH ON THE WEST SIDE OF SANDY WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN GULF SAT INTO SUN. WHILE THE FAR WESTERN GULF MAY SEE A BRIEF PUSH OF MODERATE TO STRONG N WIND BEHIND THE FRONT DOWN THE COAST OF MEXICO SAT...A BIGGER AREA OF FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE EASTERN GULF SUN AND MON. WINDS WILL DIMINISH ACROSS THE GULF BY TUE AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE AREA. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... HURRICANE SANDY IS MAKING STEADY PROGRESS N THROUGH THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS CURRENTLY AND IS EXPECTED TO TURN MORE TO THE NNW FRI AS IT INTERACTS WITH A BROAD MID LEVEL TROUGH MOVING INTO THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HURRICANE SANDY...PLEASE REFER TO HURRICANES.GOV...BULLETIN HEADER WTNT23 KNHC/TCMAT3. THE AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXPAND OVER THE 48 TO 72 HOURS AS SANDY EVENTUALLY MOVES N OF THE AREA. THE AREA OF SEAS 12 FT OR GREATER WILL ALSO EXPAND WITH THE WIND FIELD. WHILE THE WAVEWATCH SEEMS TO BE DOING A DECENT JOB INDICATING WHERE THE HIGHER SEAS WILL BE...IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE OVERDOING THE WAVE HEIGHTS SOMEWHAT...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE BAHAMAS ARCHIPELAGO WHERE FETCH LIMITATIONS AND COMPLEX BATHYMETERY IMPEDE WAVE GROWTH. THE SEA HEIGHT FORECAST FAVORS A MORE BALANCED ENSEMBLE SOLUTION FOR WAVE HEIGHTS AROUND SANDY AND THE BAHAMAS. FRESH TO STRONG W FLOW WILL DOMINATE THE WATERS N OF 25N AFTER SUNDAY...WITH SEAS GRADUALLY SUBSIDING MON AND TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE SW WINDS PERSIST OVER THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AND THE AREA BETWEEN JAMAICA...CUBA...AND HAITI. AREAS OF CONVECTION CONTINUE TRAVEL WITH THE SW FLOW INTO SOUTHERN HISPANIOLA. THE SW WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH EARLY FRI...LEAVING MODERATE TO FRESH WESTERLY FLOW OVER THE N CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...AND LIGHT TO MODERATE WESTERLIES ELSEWHERE. LIGHT TO MODERATE WESTERLIES WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN BY LATE SAT. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY LATE SUN...THEN STALL OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN...ACCOMPANIED BY A ROUND OF MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN MON INTO TUE. 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... .HURRICANE WARNING...ZONES AMZ111...AMZ117...AMZ119...AMZ123. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN