000 AGXX40 KNHC 080631 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 130 AM EST FRI MAR 08 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 AND ASSOCIATED ANTICYCLONIC WIND FLOW PREVAILS OVER THE GULF WATERS. LATEST ASCAT SCATTEROMETER PASS ALONG LATEST SHIP AND BUOY DATA INDICATE FRESH SE RETURN FLOW PREVAILS OVER THE WESTERN GULF WATERS WITH GENTLE TO MODERATE BREEZE PREVAILING OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. SEAS RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 FT OVER THE WESTERN GULF AND 1 TO 3 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD OVER THE GULF WATERS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND WITH SE RETURN FLOW INCREASING AND SPREADING EASTWARD. A COLD FRONT IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST INTO THE NW GULF WATERS SUN EVENING. THE COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM CENTRAL LOUISIANA TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY MON MORNING WITH GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF THE FRONT S OF 25N. THE GALE WILL BE SHORT LIVED WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE BY MON NIGHT AS THE COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE E BAY OF CAMPECHE. THE COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE SE GULF WATERS WED EVENING. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 65W... A COLD FRONT OVER THE SE PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA HAS USHERED IN A SET OF LARGE NW SWELL AND GALE FORCE WINDS N OF 29N W OF THE FRONT. THE GALE FORCE WINDS WERE CONFIRMED BY THE MOST RECENT 0206 UTC ASCAT PASS. THE COLD FRONT WILL SHIFT E OF THE AREA BY FRI NIGHT. WINDS WILL BRIEFLY DROP BELOW GALE FORCE TODAY...BUT WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE TO GALE FORCE N OF 29N BY THIS EVENING AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLD FRONT AND GALE FORCE WINDS SHIFTS CLOSER TO THE FORECAST AREA. THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL SHIFT EASTWARD AND FURTHER FROM THE AREA DURING THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL DIMINISH WINDS BELOW GALE FORCE BY SUN MORNING. ASSOCIATED NW SWELL WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH SEA GREATER THAN 8 FT COVERING THE ENTIRE AREA...EXCEPT W OF THE BAHAMAS...BY LATE FRI NIGHT...AND PREVAILING THROUGH TUE. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE MON/EARLY TUE OVER THE NW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE FAR NW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA TUE AFTERNOON. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... LATEST SCATTEROMETER ALONG WITH SHIP AND BUOY DATA INDICATE FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS PREVAIL OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN WATERS OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA WITH MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. GENTLE TO MODERATE WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE REMINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. SEAS ARE 8-9 FT OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA...4-7 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...AND 3-5 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA. WINDS WILL FRESHEN OVER THE WESTERN GULF WATERS THIS WEEKEND WITH HIGH PRESSURE PASSING N OF THE AREA. LARGE LONG PERIOD SWELLS OVER THE SW N ATLC WATERS WILL SEP THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN PASSAGES WITH SEAS REACHING 8-9 FT THIS WEEKEND. OTHERWISE...NOT EXPECTING MUCH OF A CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT STATE DURING THIS FORECAST CYCLE. 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... .GALE WARNING AMZ113 AND AMZ115. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL