000 AGXX40 KNHC 131824 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 145 PM EST THU DEC 13 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 EXTENDS FROM SOUTH FLORIDA TO 22N92W THEN BECOMES STATIONARY TO 20N95W TO 18N94W. THE MOST RECENT SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWED WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT COVERING THE AREA S OF 25N W OF 90W WITH SEAS TO 8 FT. WINDS AND SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH LATER TODAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES SE OF AREA. A 1030 MB HIGH PRES...CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER THE STATE OF TENNESSEE...EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. EXPECT WINDS TO VEER TO THE E AND SE AS HIGH PRES N OF AREA MOVES EWD DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA ON FRI. 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 LATE SUN INTO MON. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... REINFORCING SURGE OF COOLER AIR IS PUSHING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE SW ATLC AND SOUTH FLORIDA. THE FRONT EXTENDING FROM 31N76W TO SOUTH FLORIDA WILL REACH A POSITION FROM 31N66W TO 26N73W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA FRI MORNING AND FROM 31N55W TO 23N68W SAT MORNING. NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT AND BUILDING SEAS UP TO 12-13 FT ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WHICH IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE OVER THE EASTERN WATERS BY LATE SAT. HIGH PRES WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT PRODUCING MAINLY A MODERATE NE TO E BREEZE. SLY RETURN FLOW WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE NEAR NE FLORIDA LATE SUN INTO MON AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST MON NIGHT OR EARLY ON TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 19N W OF 55W... TRADE WINDS OF 20-25 KT LOCALLY 30 KT CONTINUE TO BLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN AND THE TROPICAL N ATLC DUE TO STRONG HIGH PRES LOCATED NE OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE HIGHEST SEAS UP TO 10 FT CAN BE FOUND NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA AND JUST E OF THE LEEWARD ISLANDS. THE RIDGE N OF THE REGION WILL MOVE E AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE SW N ATLC. AS A RESULT...THE PRES GRADIENT AND ASSOCIATED WINDS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN ACROSS THE BASIN TONIGHT INTO FRI. THE FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL LIKELY ENTER THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN BY FRI AND GRADUAL DISSIPATE. EXPECT WINDS OF 15-20 KT ACROSS THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND THE FAR NW CARIBBEAN TONIGHT AND 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