000 AGXX40 KNHC 230739 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 AM EST WED JAN 23 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 RIDGE COVERS THE GULF WATERS. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH NE-E WINDS AND SEAS OF 4-6 FT ARE NOTED OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE GULF. MODERATE E-SE WINDS WITH SEAS TO AROUND 4 FT DOMINATE THE WESTERN HALF OF THE REGION. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN FROM THE N THROUGH TONIGHT...BECOMING CENTERED OVER THE NE GULF WED NIGHT WHERE IT WILL LINGER THROUGH LATE THU. THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT MAY CLIP THE NE GULF LATE THU BEFORE CONTINUING E-SE INTO THE ATLC WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN SENSIBLE WEATHER WITH ITS PASSAGE. OTHERWISE...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED IN THE WESTERN GULF AROUND THE HIGH...WITH RETURN FLOW SPREADING TO THE E GULF WATERS BY LATE FRI AS THE HIGH SHIFTS SLIGHTLY TO THE E. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE N GULF STATES LATE FRI INTO SAT AND IS FORECAST BY THE COMPUTER MODELS TO ALSO CLIP THE NE GULF BY SAT. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS TO AROUND 20 KT ACROSS THE GULF WATERS OVER THE WEEKEND AS STRONG HIGH PRES SETTLES OVER THE CAROLINAS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... LATEST SCATTEROMETER DATA ALONG WITH FEW SHIP OBSERVATIONS INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG WINDS CONTINUING IN THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...WITH MODERATE NE-E WINDS ELSEWHERE. SEAS OF 4-6 FT ARE PRESENT ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THE CARIBBEAN WATERS...EXCEPT 2-3 FT IN THE IMMEDIATE LEE OF CUBA AND BETWEEN CUBA AND JAMAICA...AND SEAS OF 9-10 FT IN THE AREA OF STRONGER WINDS NEAR COLOMBIA. LITTLE CHANGE IN THE WEATHER PATTERN AND MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS WILL BE N OF 19N-20N IN THE NW CARIBBEAN WHERE WINDS WILL OCCASIONALLY INCREASE TO FRESH LEVELS BEHIND A SERIES OF COLD FRONTS. FRESH TRADES WILL ALSO SET UP S OF HISPANIOLA LATE FRI THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA STRENGTHENS. IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC...NE TO E WINDS IN THE 10-20 KT RANGE AND SEAS UP TO 7-9 FT WILL DOMINATE THE WATERS E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES THROUGHOUT THE THE FORECAST PERIOD. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A REINFORCING COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N64W TO WEST-CENTRAL CUBA. SCATTEROMETER DATA PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 15-20 NLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ALONG WITH SEAS TO AROUND 7 FT. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG SW WINDS ARE OBSERVED JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH SEAS UP TO 5 FT. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE FRONT WILL RACE EASTWARD EXTENDING FROM 31N60W TO THE SE BAHAMAS BY WED MORNING...STALLING OUT OVER THE SE WATERS BY THU MORNING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL DIP SOUTH OF 31N THU MORNING WITH ACCOMPANYING FRESH TO STRONG WINDS N OF 29N BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT AND BUILDING SEAS UP TO 13 FT IN NW SWELL. THIS NEXT FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM 31N61W TO 28N78W...BECOMING DIFFUSE AS IT MOVES E OF THE REGION LATE FRI. A THIRD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS SAT MORNING REACHING FROM 31N75W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS...THEN FROM 31N58W TO 27N73W SUN MORNING...SHIFTING E OF THE AREA LATE SUN. ANOTHER ROUND OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR N OF 29N ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT ALONG WITH SEAS UP TO 11 FT. 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