000 AGXX40 KNHC 011845 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 145 PM EST FRI MAR 1 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... COLD FRONT DRAPED ACROSS SOUTHERN GULF WILL BE FORCED SE THROUGH YUCATAN CHANNEL TONIGHT AS DEEP TROUGH DIGS S INTO THE GULF AND SWEEPS E ACROSS THE BASIN THROUGH MON. LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE TRAPPED BELOW INVERSION PRODUCING STRATIFORM PRECIP BEHIND FRONT WHILE MID-LEVEL MOISTURE PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDING SOUTHWARD BEHIND FRONT WILL INCREASE PRES GRADIENT BEHIND FRONT...WITH STRONG NW TO N WINDS W OF 92W THIS MORNING SPREADING EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF THROUGH SAT WITH REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR LATE SAT AND SAT NIGHT TO SHIFT SE THROUGH SUN. SEAS BUILD TO 8-10 FT BEHIND FRONT ACROSS SW PORTIONS TODAY THEN 7-9 FT ACROSS SE HALF BY SAT AFTERNOON..AND BUILDING TO 8-12 FT SE PORTIONS BY SUN NIGHT. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH MON AND TUE AS HIGH PRES SHIFTS ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF INTO THE FLORIDA PENINSULA. A LOW PRES SYSTEM EXPECTED TO DEVELOP NEAR ARKANSAS MON NIGHT WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT INTO THE NORTHERN GULF TUE...THEN S-SE OF AREA WED. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... STATIONARY FRONT DRIFTING SE INTO NW CARIBBEAN WILL BE OVERTAKEN TONIGHT BY REINFORCING SURGE OF COLD AIR AS HIGH PRES BUILDS S INTO SOUTHERN MEXICO. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM CENTRAL CUBA TO NE HONDURAS SAT AND FROM EASTERN CUBA TO PANAMA SAT NIGHT. FCST MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE GALE FORCE WINDS S OF 15N ALONG THE COAST OF NICARAGUA SAT NIGHT AND SUN...AND ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT. SEAS WILL BUILD 9-12 FT BEHIND SE SHIFTING BOUNDARY WITHIN THESE STRONG TO GALE FORCE WINDS AND SPREAD SE TO N COAST OF PANAMA BY SUN NIGHT....WHILE PERSISTENT N-NW FLOW THROUGH YUCATAN CHANNEL MAINTAINS 8-12 FT SEAS ACROSS NW PART OF BASIN. ELSEWHERE... TRADE WINDS AND SEAS WILL BELOW NORMAL WITH ATLC NW TO N SWELL ENERGY MOVING THROUGH E CARIB PASSAGES. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING FROM NEAR BERMUDA ACROSS NORTHERN BAHAMAS THROUGH STRAITS OF FLORIDA WILL MEANDER ACROSS CENTRAL PORTIONS THROUGH SAT...THEN FINALLY MOVE INTO SE PORTIONS SUN AND SUN NIGHT. MODERATE NW WINDS FLOW BEHIND FRONT WILL BE REINFORCED EARLY SAT BY SURGE OF COLDER AIR STREAMING OFF NORTH AMERICA ACROSS NW PORTIONS...SHIFTING TO CENTRAL PART BY SUN... WITH BOUNDARY REACHING WINDWARD PASSAGE BY 00Z MON. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDING INTO SE U.S. SUN AND MON WILL ALLOW STRONG NW WINDS 25-30 KT TO SPREAD ACROSS FLORIDA COASTAL WATERS THROUGH CENTRAL BAHAMAS W OF 75W BY SUN EVENING AND BUILD SEAS 8-10 FT ACROSS OPEN ATLC NE OF BAHAMAS. WINDS AND SEAS WILL DIMINISH BY TUE W OF 70W AS NEW LOW BEGINS TO DEEPEN ACROSS NW ATLC AND GENERATES HIGH SEAS TO SWEEP SE ACROSS NE PORTIONS TUE-WED. 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... .GALE WARNING SAT NIGHT AND SUN...AMZ029. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER MUNDELL