000 AGXX40 KNHC 220755 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EST TUE JAN 22 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... A BROAD RIDGE DOMINATES THE GULF WATERS PRODUCING GENTLE TO MODERATE N-NE WINDS ACROSS THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF AND NE-E WINDS ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE REGION. SEAS ARE GENERALLY UNDER 3 FT. A REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH A NEW HIGH PRES SYSTEM WILL PUSH DOWN FROM THE N TODAY. A COLD FRONT WILL PRECEDE THE NEW HIGH PRES AND WILL MOVE QUICKLY ACROSS THE N AND CENTRAL WATERS REACHING A POSITION ACROSS THE SOUTH WATERS FROM THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO 23N90W TO 24N96W THIS EVENING...THEN FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA TO 22N95W WED MORNING. EXPECT SOME INCREASE IN WINDS (MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH)...AND BUILDING SEAS (3-5 FT) IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. THE NEW HIGH PRES WILL MOVE SE TOWARD THE SE UNITED STATES BY WED MORNING THEN WILL BE OVER THE NE GULF LATE WED INTO THU ALLOWING FOR SLY RETURN FLOW TO SET UP ACROSS THE W GULF. THE HIGH PRES WILL MOVE TOWARDS THE SW N ATLC FRI. THE NEXT COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE N GULF WATERS FRI NIGHT...REACHING FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO NEAR THE TEXAS/MEXICO BORDER SAT MORNING...THEN STALLING FROM NEAR TAMPA BAY TO SOUTH TEXAS LATE SAT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE N BY LATE SUN AS FRESH TO STRONG SLY RETURN FLOW ESTABLISHES ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE GULF REGION. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... SCATTEROMETER ALONG WITH SURFACE DATA DEPICTED GENTLE TO MODERATE N-NE WINDS IN THE W CARIBBEAN AND MODERATE NE-E WINDS IN THE E CARIBBEAN. BUOY AND SHIP OBSERVATIONS REPORT 3-5 FT SEAS ACROSS MOST OF THE BASIN. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE PRESENT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA WHERE THE PRES GRADIENT IS THE TIGHTEST BETWEEN SEMI-PERMANENT LOW PRES OVER NW SOUTH AMERICA AND RIDGING TO THE NE. LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN AND MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY THU. A COLD FRONT WILL SNEAK INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN LATE THU USHERING IN NE 20-25 KT WINDS BEHIND IT N OF 20N IN THE LEE OF CUBA. THE FRONT WILL STALL OUT OVER THE NW CARIBBEAN...BECOMING DIFFUSE LATE FRI WITH THE WINDS BEHIND IT DIMINISHING. FRESH TO STRONG TRADES IN THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WILL EXPAND IN COVERAGE TO ALL OF THE CENTRAL AND MUCH OF THE E CARIBBEAN WATERS FRI...DIMINISHING SAT. ON SUN...EXPECT AGAIN INCREASING WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS N OF 20N IN THE LEE OF CUBA DUE TO STRONG HIGH PRES ACROSS THE EASTERN SEABOARD OF USA. IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC...MAINLY NE TO E WINDS IN THE 15 TO 20 KT RANGE AND SEAS UP TO 9 FT WILL DOMINATE THE WATERS E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES DURING THE THE FORECAST PERIOD. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A WEAKENING STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS PARKED OUT ACROSS THE NW WATERS REACHING FROM JUST W OF BERMUDA THROUGH 29N72W TO NEAR WEST PALM BEACH FLORIDA. WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT AND VARIABLE W OF 70W WHILE SE TO S WINDS...ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE ATLC RIDGE...DOMINATES THE WATERS E OF 70W. HOWEVER...S OF 22N ELY WINDS OF 10-15 KT ARE NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA. THIS FRONT WILL BECOME DIFFUSE TODAY AS A REINFORCING COLD FRONT ENTERS THE AREA FROM THE NW. THE NEW FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM JUST E OF BERMUDA TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA THIS EVENING... FROM 31N55W TO CENTRAL CUBA WED EVENING...THEN STALL AS STRONGER SURGE OF COLD AIR REACHES 30N BY THU EVENING. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT WITH BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 8 FT E OF THE BAHAMAS. ON THU...EXPECT INCREASING W-NW WINDS ACROSS THE N WATERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SECOND SURGE OF COLD AIR AND THE NEXT COLD FRONT THAT WILL REACH FROM 31N60W TO EASTERN CUBA THU EVENING...EXITING THE REGION BY FRI EVENING. LARGE NW SWELL UP TO 11-12 FT WILL ARRIVE BEHIND THE FRONT OVER THE FAR NE WATERS LATE THU THROUGH FRI ALONG WITH A QUICK BURST OF 20-30 KT WINDS. HIGH PRES RACES IN BEHIND THE FRONT FRI...RETREATING EASTWARD LATE FRI INTO SAT AS YET ANOTHER COLD FRONT ARRIVES FROM THE CAROLINAS. THIS NEXT FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 31N71W TO SE FLORIDA SAT EVENING...SPRINTING EASTWARD AND STRETCHING FROM 31N53W TO 20N68W SUN EVENING. THE TIMING OF THIS LAST FRONT MAY EVEN BE FASTER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ECMWF AND UKMET MODEL SOLUTIONS. 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