000 AGXX40 KNHC 150748 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 248 AM EST FRI FEB 15 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... SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT EXTENDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ZONES FROM KEY WEST TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE. ASCAT PASS AT 0240 UTC SHOWED FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS N OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...WITH A SMALL AREA OF 25 KT WINDS INDICATED NEAR 24N86W. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY THROUGH THIS EVENING THEN A REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH STRONG HIGH PRES OVER TEXAS WILL SWEEP A STRONGER COLD FRONT RAPIDLY ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND SAT. STRONG TO NEAR-GALE N-NE WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT...BUT REMAIN BELOW 35 KT DUE TO ORIENTATION OF THE SURFACE HIGH AND NOT ENOUGH COLD AIR ADVECTION IN THE SW GULF. HIGH PRES SETTLES OVER THE REGION SUN WITH RETURN FLOW SETTING UP W OF 94W LATE SUN. NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO REACH THE TEXAS COAST MON NIGHT...AND EXTEND FROM FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO BROWNSVILLE BY LATE TUE. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWS LARGE AREA OF FRESH TO STRONG E-NE TRADES S OF 17N EXTENDING W FROM THE TROPICAL N ATLC INTO THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. LONG FETCH OF ENHANCED TRADE WINDS PRODUCING 10 FT SEAS E OF THE REGION...WITH COMBINED SEAS 7-8 FT ACROSS MOST OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND 6-8 FT IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN. STRONG FAST-MOVING COLD FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH THE YUCATAN CHANNEL SAT...AND EXTEND FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO HONDURAS SAT NIGHT. N-NE WINDS N OF THE FRONT WILL INCREASE TO 25-30 KT SUN IN THE NW CARIBBEAN...WITH HIGHEST WINDS EXPECTED NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE BUILDS SEAS TO 9-10 FT. THE FRONT WILL WEAKEN AND BECOME STATIONARY SUN NIGHT FROM WINDWARD PASSAGE TO NICARAGUA. STRONG HIGH PRES N OF THE AREA MON WILL SUPPORT A BROAD AREA OF STRONG E-NE WINDS OVER MOST OF THE CARIBBEAN...WITH NEAR-GALE WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... SLOW-MOVING COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 31N70W TO S FLORIDA. SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWS NARROW BAND OF 20 KT WINDS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. A STRONGER FAST-MOVING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE FLORIDA COAST SAT...AND OVERTAKE THE FIRST FRONT SAT NIGHT. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION BEHIND THE FRONT WILL INDUCE GALE FORCE WINDS N OF 26N W OF 70W SAT NIGHT AND SUN...THEN SHIFT N OF 30N BETWEEN 60W AND 70W BY SUN NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM BERMUDA TO CUBA SUN THEN STALL ACROSS SE PORTION OF THE AREA MON AND TUE WITH FRESH NE-E WINDS EXPECTED S OF 26N. SE WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER FAR NW PORTION OF THE AREA MON AHEAD OF A FRONT EXPECTED TO REACH THE GEORGIA COAST LATE TUE. 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. .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED AMZ111 SAT NIGHT AND SUN...AMZ113 SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...AMZ115 SUN AND SUN NIGHT. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL