000 AGXX40 KNHC 290725 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 325 AM EDT MON OCT 29 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 COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED S OF THE REGION...AND ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS AT 0338 SURPRISINGLY SHOWED STRONGER NNW WINDS THAN EXPECTED FROM GLOBAL MODEL GUIDANCE. AN AREA OF 25-30 WINDS IS LOCATED N OF 27N IN THE NE GULF E OF 91W. THIS IS ABOUT 900-1000 NM WSW OF THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY AND AN INDICATION OF THE UNUSUALLY LARGE WIND FIELD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MASSIVE WEATHER SYSTEM. 8 TO 10 FT SEAS ARE BEING REPORTED IN THE NE GULF...WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH 25-30 KT WINDS. EXPECT THIS AREA OF VERY STRONG WINDS E OF 90W TO GRADUALLY DIMINISH TO AROUND 20 KT BY TUE AFTERNOON. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD SE ACROSS THE AREA TUE THROUGH WED...WITH AN ANTICYCLONE BECOMING ESTABLISHED OVER THE CENTRAL GULF BY WED...CONTINUING INTO FRI MAINTAINING RELATIVELY LIGHT WINDS AND LOW SEAS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY IS WELL N OF THE BASIN...BUT ITS VERY LARGE CIRCULATION WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE VERY STRONG WINDS AND A HUGE AREA OF LARGE SEAS OVER A WIDE SWATH OF THE SW N ATLC TODAY. SEA HEIGHTS ASSOCIATED PRIMARILY WITH LONG PERIOD NW SWELL WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE TONIGHT THROUGH WED NIGHT. MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY BY THU AND FRI. USING A BLEND OF THE GFS MODEL AND CORRESPONDING WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE ALONG ALONG WITH THE ECMWF MODEL TO DEPICT ONGOING HAZARDS...ESPECIALLY FOR SE PORTION OF THE AREA. LARGE LONG PERIOD NE SWELL IMPACTING NE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH TUE THROUGH WED. A WEAKENING COLD FRONT FROM THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS TO WESTERN CUBA WILL BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY AS A DISSIPATING BOUNDARY FROM THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS TO CENTRAL CUBA TONIGHT THROUGH THU. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC W OF 55W... A WEAK COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL EXTENDS FROM WESTERN CUBA TO N BELIZE ON THE YUCATAN PENINSULA. THE FRONT WILL BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY TONIGHT AND DISSIPATE FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS THROUGH THU. ASCAT PASS AT 0335 UTC SHOWS FRESH TO STRONG N-NW WINDS N OF THE FRONT IN THE YUCATAN CHANNEL...AND A SHIP TRANSITING THROUGH THE AREA IS REPORTING 30 KT WINDS ON THE BRIDGE AND SEAS ESTIMATED AT 14 FT. EXPECT 20-25 KT N-NW WINDS TO PERSIST N OF THE FRONT TODAY THEN DIMINISH TO 20 KT OR LESS BY TONIGHT. MARINE CONDITIONS HAVE IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST 24 HOURS ELSEWHERE IN THE N AND NW CARIBBEAN. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND SEAS 3 FT OR LESS PREVAIL OVER MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN BASIN. LARGE LONG PERIOD NW SWELL SPREADING OUTWARD FROM HURRICANE SANDY WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT ATLC PASSAGES AND THE TROPICAL N ATLC THROUGH WED. 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... .TROPICAL STORM WARNING...ZONES AMZ113-115. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL