000 AGXX40 KNHC 261850 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 215 PM EST TUE FEB 26 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... THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT BROUGHT SHORT-LIVED GALE FORCE WINDS TO MARINE ZONES GMZ011...GMZ013 AND GMZ017 NOW EXTENDS FROM NORTH FLORIDA NEAR 30N82W TO THE YUCATAN PENINSULA AND THE EASTERN BAY IF CAMPECHE. THE 0352 UTC HI- RESOLUTION ASCAT PASS CAPTURED THE AREA OF GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. SURFACE DATA AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS CURRENTLY INDICATE W TO NW WINDS OF 20-25 KT OVER THE N WATERS WITH SEAS OF 8 TO 11 FT. HIGH PRES PRES IS BUILDING OVER THE WESTERN GULF RESULTING IN DIMINISHING WINDS AND SEAS FROM W TO E. THE FRONT WILL SLOW AND DRIFT SE THROUGH THE FLORIDA STRAITS AND THE YUCATAN CHANNEL TONIGHT AND WED. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE WED AND RACE ACROSS THE EASTERN WATERS THU...MOVING SE OF THE AREA ON THU NIGHT. WINDS WILL BRIEFLY INCREASE TO 20-25 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. BY SAT...EXPECTED A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS AS PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN HIGH PRES ACROSS THE GULF WATERS AND A DEVELOPING LOW PRES SYSTEM NEAR THE SE COAST OF UNITED STATES. MARINE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS NW TO N WINDS OF 25-30 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO NEAR 11 FT ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL WATERS. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... SCATTEROMETER DATA CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OBSERVATIONS OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTH-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. HIGH PRES N OF THE BASIN WILL MAINTAIN FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ACROSS CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THROUGH WED WHILE MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH EASTERLY TRADES WILL PERSIST ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO NOTED ACROSS THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN MAINLY W OF 84W...INCLUDING THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THESE WINDS ARE BLOWING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO. SOME SHIP OBSERVATIONS AND BUOY 42056 LOCATED NEAR 20N85W CORROBORATED THE PRESENCE OF THESE WIND SPEEDS. THE FRONT WILL STALL ACROSS THE YUCATAN CHANNEL TONIGHT THEN WILL BE REINFORCED BY SECOND AND STRONGER COLD FRONT THU AND ENTER NW CARIBBEAN FRI. MERGED FRONTS ARE FORECAST TO REACH FROM EASTERN CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS SAT FOLLOWED BY STRONG TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 11 FT NEARBY THE GULF OF HONDURAS. LARGE LONG-PERIOD NE SWELLS ARE AFFECTING THE TROPICAL N ATLC RAISING SEAS TO 9-10 FT. THIS SWELL EVENT IS ALSO IMPACTING THE NE CARIBBEAN AND THE ATLC PASSAGES. THESE MARINE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST MOST OF THE WORK WEEK. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... SE TO S WINDS OF 20-25 KT ARE OBSERVED PER THE MOST RECENT ASCAT PASS N OF 27N W OF 75W JUST AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE NE FLORIDA COAST LATER TODAY. WINDS WILL VEER TO THE WEST WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE BRIEFLY REACHING 20 TO 25 KT TONIGHT WITH RAISING SEAS TO AROUND 10 FT. WINDS WILL BE 20 KT OR LESS BEHIND THE FRONT ON WED. THEN...THE FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM 31N74W TO S FLORIDA EARLY WED AND FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO WESTERN CUBA EARLY THU. LATER ON THIS DAY...EXPECT INCREASING WESTERLY WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS OF UP TO 12 FT ACROSS THE N WATERS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CYCLONIC CIRCULATION OF A STRONG LOW PRES SYSTEM LOCATED OVER THE WESTERN ATLC WELL N OF AREA. THIS WEATHER PATTERN WILL PERSIST ON FRI AS THE FRONT EXTENDS FROM 27N65W TO EASTERN CUBA. THE FRONT IS FORECAST TO STALL OVER SE ATLC WATERS SAT. 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