000 AGXX40 KNHC 231748 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 100 PM 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... RIDGE COVERS THE NORTHERN GULF. 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 ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE GULF. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN FROM THE N AND BECOME 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 WITH NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER WITH ITS PASSAGE. OTHERWISE SLY 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 COAST LATE FRI INTO SAT AND IS FORECAST TO ALSO CLIP THE NE GULF BY SAT. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS TO AROUND 20 KT ACROSS THE GULF OVER THE WEEKEND. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 28N65W TO EASTERN CUBA. THE FRONT WILL MOVE TO 26N65W TO THE SE BAHAMAS WED MORNING AND STALL OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE AREA BY THU MORNING. ANOTHER FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE S OF 31N THU MORNING AND E OF THE AREA FRI. A THIRD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW PORTION SAT MORNING EXTENDING FROM 31N75W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS THEN FROM 31N58W TO 27N73W SUN MORNING THEN MOVE E OF THE AREA LATE SUN. EXPECT FRESH TO STRONG WINDS BEHIND THE SECOND AND THIRD FRONTS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... HIGH PRES WELL NE OF THE AREA WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ACROSS THE S CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH THU...AND MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH TRADES ELSEWHERE. STRONGER TRADES WILL COVER MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN LATE THU THROUGH SUN AS THE ATLC HIGH N OF THE AREA STRENGTHENS. LARGE N SWELLS WILL MOVE INTO THE TROPICAL N ATLC LATE SAT INTO SUN. 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 DGS