000 AGXX40 KNHC 270658 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EDT SAT OCT 27 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... THE HUGE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE SANDY IN THE SW N ATLC EXTENDS WELL INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF MEXICO.... WITH N-NE WINDS 20-25 KT E OF 85W...AND SEAS 8-12 FT IN THE W PORTION OF THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. NLY FLOW 10-15 KT OTHERWISE PREVAILS FROM 90W TO 85W WITH SEAS 3-6 FT. A COLD FRONT MOVING SE THROUGH THE NW GULF WILL INCREASE N WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WITH FRESH NORTHERLIES E OF 85W. THE FRONT WILL REACHING FROM NEAR SANIBEL ISLAND TO SW GULF BY 12Z SUN...THEN DISSIPATING FROM ANDROS ISLAND BAHAMAS TO NRN YUCATAN AND BAY OF CAMPECHE ALONG 21N BY 12Z MON AS A REINFORCING SURGE OF COOLER AIR W OF SANDY PUSHES S INTO THE NORTHERN GULF. SEAS EXPECTED 6-9 FT W PORTIONS BEHIND FRONT SUN-MON...AND 7-8 FT SE PORTIONS LATE SUN-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 MOVING SLOWLY N AS INTERACTION WITH THE UPPER LOW OVER S FLORIDA CONTINUES. SANDY IS TAKING ON SUB-TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS. SLOW MOTION IS ALLOWING EXCESSIVE WAVE GROWTH AGAINST THE GULF STREAM OFF S CENTRAL FLORIDA. OPERATIONAL WW3 HAS REASONABLE SOLUTION FOR WAVE FIELD EXCEPT THE NE QUAD OF SANDY...WHERE OBS WERE EXCEEDING WW3 GUIDANCE BY 4-5 FT. THE AREA OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL EXPAND SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE NEXT 48-72 HOURS AS SANDY MOVES N OF THE AREA AND CONTINUES A HYBRID OR SUBTROPICAL TRANSITION...WITH STRONGEST WINDS ROTATING CYCLONICALLY FROM NW QUAD INTO S SEMICIRCLE. THIS WILL GENERATE HUGE SEAS ACROSS THE W AND SW SEMICIRCLES AND INUNDATE COASTAL AREAS WILL TREMENDOUS SURF AND RUN UP CAUSING SIGNIFICANT TO EXTREME COASTAL EROSION FROM THE OUTER BANKS TO FLORIDA...WITH POTENTIALLY WORSE TO COME FOR THE NE U.S. LARGE CYCLONIC FLOW SURROUNDING SANDY WILL AFFECT ALL WATERS N OF 24N THROUGH MON MORNING. LARGE SWELL MAY REACH W COASTAL PORTIONS OF PUERTO RICO TO THE LESSER ANTILLES...WITH POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT RUN UP AND COASTAL EROSION. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... LARGE CYCLONIC FLOW CONTINUES ACROSS THE BASIN S OF SANDY...WITH SW TO S WINDS 20-25 KT N OF 16N BETWEEN THE MONA PASSAGE AND 74W. SEAS THROUGH THE CAYMANS AND WINDWARD PASSAGE STILL 7-8 FT WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AREAS. WINDS AND SEAS WILL BEGIN TO ABATE ACROSS THE CARIB TODAY AS SANDY LIFT FARTHER N..BUT WITH HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL CONTINUING ACROSS HISPANIOLA AND TO LESSER EXTENT PUERTO RICO THROUGH SAT AFTERNOON. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL SUN...THEN STALL OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN... ACCOMPANIED BY MODERATE TO FRESH N FLOW ACROSS THE W CARIBBEAN MON THROUGH 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...ZONE AMZ111 .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...ZONES AMZ113...AMZ117...AMZ119. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL