000 AGXX40 KNHC 240738 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 245 AM EST THU JAN 24 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 OVER THE NE GULF EXTENDS A RIDGE OVER THE ENTIRE REGION PRODUCING MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH NE-E WINDS AND SEAS OF 4-6 FT ACROSS THE SE WATERS. SOUTHEASTERLY RETURN FLOW HAS ESTABLISHED OVER THE WESTERN GULF AND WILL SPREAD E ACROSS MUCH OF THE GULF THROUGH FRI. THE TAIL END OF A COLD FRONT MAY CLIP THE NE GULF LATER TODAY BEFORE CONTINUING E-SE INTO THE ATLC WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN SENSIBLE WEATHER WITH ITS PASSAGE. 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 INTO MON AS STRONG HIGH PRES MOVES 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. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS ARE NOTED N OF 19N IN THE NW CARIBBEAN BEHIND A DISSIPATING COLD FRONT. MODERATE NE-E WINDS ARE BLOWING ELSEWHERE. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS S OF CUBA TONIGHT INTO FRI MORNING AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT CLIPS THE NW CARIBBEAN. MARINE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 6 FT...PARTICULARLY N OF 18N BETWEEN 78W AND 85W. STRONGER TRADE WINDS WILL COVER MUCH OF THE CARIBBEAN TONIGHT THROUGH MON AS THE ATLC HIGH N OF THE AREA STRENGTHENS. EXPECT WINDS OF 30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA RAISING SEAS UP TO 11 FT. IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC...NE TO E WINDS IN THE 15-20 KT RANGE AND SEAS UP TO 7-9 FT WILL DOMINATE THE WATERS E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES THROUGHOUT THE THE FORECAST PERIOD. N SWELL WILL MOVE INTO THIS AREA OVER THE WEEKEND. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 25N65W TO 21N75W. SCATTEROMETER DATA PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 20 KT NE WINDS IN THE WAKE OF THE THE FRONT AND BETWEEN THE BAHAMAS AND CUBA. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE ACROSS THE SE WATERS TONIGHT. ANOTHER FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WILL DROP SOUTH OF 31N LATER TODAY WITH ACCOMPANYING FRESH TO STRONG WINDS N OF 28N BOTH AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT AND BUILDING SEAS UP TO 14 FT IN NW SWELL TONIGHT. THIS FRONT WILL REACH FROM 24N65W TO 21N76W ENTERING THE NW CARIBBEAN THROUGH CAMAGUEY CUBA BY FRI MORNING...BECOMING DIFFUSE AS IT MOVES E OF THE REGION LATE FRI. A THIRD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS LATE SAT REACHING FROM 28N65W TO 27N80W SUN MORNING...SHIFTING E OF THE AREA LATE SUN. ANOTHER ROUND OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS WILL OCCUR MAINLY N OF 29N ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FRONT ALONG WITH SEAS UP TO 12 FT. HIGH PRES WILL DOMINATE THE REGION THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. 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