000 AGXX40 KNHC 240702 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 200 AM EST MON DEC 24 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... HIGH PRES RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WILL MOVE E TODAY. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS LATER TODAY THEN STALL AND MOVE N ALONG THE NORTH GULF COASTAL PLAINS. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE GULF NW LATE TUE STRONG NLY WINDS W OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM SE LOUISIANA TO WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE EVENING AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA WED EVENING THEN STALL AND DISSIPATE ACROSS THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA AND THE SE GULF THU. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF BY FRI. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... STATIONARY FRONT FROM 22N65W TO HISPANIOLA WILL DISSIPATE ACROSS THE SE WATERS LATER TODAY. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DECREASE THROUGH TUE AS HIGH PRES BUILDS BEHIND FRONT AND MOVES E ALONG 30N. SE TO S WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE TUE INTO WED AHEAD OF STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING OFF NE FLORIDA COAST LATE WED. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 31N80W TO CENTRAL FLORIDA WED EVENING AND FROM 31N74W TO S FLORIDA THU AND FROM 31N65W TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA BY FRI. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES BUILDING N OF AREA WITH TIGHT ENOUGH PRES GRADIENT TO SUPPORT 20-25 KT TRADE WINDS MAINLY W OF 70W THROUGH TUE MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO 20 KT OR LESS BY LATE TUE AS HIGH PRES MOVES NE AND AWAY FROM THE FROM. LARGE N SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES TODAY BUT WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WED THROUGH 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 DGS