000 AGXX40 KNHC 121830 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 145 PM EST WED DEC 12 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 FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE GULF WATERS HAS STALLED AND NOW EXTENDS AS A STATIONARY FRONT FROM JUST N OF TAMPA BAY TO THE SW PART OF THE GULF NEAR 19N96W. THE MOST RECENT SCATTEROMETER AND SURFACE DATA SHOWED WINDS OF 20-25 KT WITHIN 120 NM W OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS WELL AS OVER THE SW PORTION OF THE GULF S OF 25N AND W OF THE FRONT WITH SEAS TO 8 FT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM JUST S OF TAMPA BAY TO WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TONIGHT... AND FROM SW FLORIDA ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA INTO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE THU MORNING THEN THE FRONT WILL BECOME DIFFUSE ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THU NIGHT. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE TO 15-20 KT ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF LATE FRI THROUGH SUN AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE GULF REGION ON MON. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... HIGH PRES LOCATED NEAR 31N55W EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TO ABOUT 78W. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS ON THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE. THE RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT E AHEAD OF A STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY CURRENTLY OVER THE FAR NW PART OF THE FORECAST REGION. THE FRONT STRETCHING FROM 31N79W TO NE FLORIDA COAST WILL EXTEND AS A COLD FRONT FROM 31N76W TO S FLORIDA THU MORNING AND FROM 31N66W TO WESTERN CUBA FRI MORNING. EXPECT FRESH TO STRONG WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS BEHIND THE FRONT MAINLY E OF THE BAHAMAS THROUGH FRI. THE FRONT WILL BECOME DIFFUSE OVER THE E PORTION OF THE AREA LATE FRI INTO SAT. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN PRODUCING MAINLY MODERATE NE TO E WINDS ACROSS THE DISCUSSION AREA SAT AND SUN. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... FRESH TO STRONG TRADE WINDS CONTINUE TO BLOW ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN...MAINLY E OF 80W...AND THE TROPICAL N ATLC DUE TO THE STRONG HIGH PRES LOCATED NE OF THE AREA NEAR 31N55W. AS USUAL... HIGHEST SEAS ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN ARE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SEA HEIGHTS OF 8-10 FT CAN BE FOUND JUST E OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE RIDGE N OF THE AREA WILL SHIFT E AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE SW N ATLC DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. AS A RESULT...THE PRES GRADIENT AND ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN ACROSS THE BASIN LATE THU INTO FRI. THE FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL LIKELY ENTER THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN BY FRI. 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 GR