000 AGXX40 KNHC 200753 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 255 AM EST SUN JAN 20 2013 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 LOCATED OVER THE SE CONUS EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS. A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE SE GULF AND GOES FROM 27N83W TO 23N85W. A RECENT ASCAT PASS INDICATED THE WIND SHIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH. A TIGHTER PRES GRADIENT EXISTS OVER THE E GULF BETWEEN THIS TROUGH AND THE RIDGE WITH MODERATE TO FRESH NE WINDS ACROSS THE NE GULF. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS AND 2-4 FT SEAS COVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. BY MON...A REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR...ASSOCIATED WITH A NEW HIGH PRES SYSTEM BUILDING ACROSS THE AREA...WILL INCREASE THE NORTHERLY WINDS SOME ACROSS THE GULF LATE MON THROUGH WED. THE HIGH WILL SLIDE OFF OF THE U.S. MID-ATLANTIC COAST TO SOUTH OF BERMUDA BY LATE WED INTO THU. IN THE MEANTIME...A WEAK HIGH PRES CELL WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NE GULF AND WILL SHIFT EWD TO NORTH FLORIDA ON THU. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED ACROSS THE GULF WATERS BETWEEN THE WEAK HIGH PRES AND LOWER PRES OVER TEXAS THROUGH THE END OF THE UPCOMING WEEK. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... A COUPLE OF CRUISE SHIPS...CALL SIGNS C6RN3 AND PBIG...LOCATED NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA HAVE REPORTED GALE FORCE WINDS OVERNIGHT. AN EARLIER WINDSAT PASS ALSO PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 30 KT WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. BASED ON THESE DATA... DECIDE TO ISSUED A GALE WARNING FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS COVERING THE AREA FROM 11N TO 13N BETWEEN 72W AND 76W. MARINE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS WINDS OF 25-30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES ARE PRESENT ACROSS THE THE REMAINDER OF THE BASIN AND TROPICAL N ATLC. THESE MARINE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO PERSIST THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS AND SEAS TO 9 FT WILL IMPACT THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS LATE MON THROUGH WED. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH BY THU. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A STATIONARY FRONT PERSISTS ACROSS THE AREA AND EXTENDS ALONG 30N65W 27N73W 28N78W TO WESTERN CUBA. SCATTEROMETER PASSES SHOWED MODERATE TO FRESH NE-E WINDS N OF FRONT AND MAINLY GENTLE TO MODERATE E-SE WINDS S OF FRONT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FRESH ELY WINDS S OF 22N. SEAS ARE CURRENTLY UP TO 8 FT N OF 27N AS INDICATED BY BUOYS 41047 AND 41010. SEAS WILL CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE TO LESS THAN 8 FT BY LATER TODAY WHILE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY. BY MON...A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS AND WILL OVERTAKE THE OLD BOUNDARY. THE FRONT WILL MOVE AGAIN SE ACROSS THE SW N ATLC MON AND TUE REACHING A POSITION FROM 31N72W TO THE NORTHERN BAHAMAS AND SOUTH FLORIDA MON NIGHT...FROM 31N68W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND CENTRAL CUBA TUE MORNING...FROM 31N64W TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS AND EASTERN CUBA WED MORNING...AND STALL OVER THE SE WATERS BY THU. EXPECT NORTHERLY 15-20 KT WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ALONG WITH AN AREA OF 8 FT SEAS. A RIDGE WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED ALONG 29N/30N THU. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .NONE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER GR