000 AGXX40 KNHC 100709 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 300 AM EST SUN MAR 10 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... SE RETURN FLOW HAS INCREASED AND IS NOW COVERING THE WESTERN HALF OF THE GULF OF MEXICO...WITH LATEST ASCAT AS WELL AS SHIP AND BUOY DATA DEPICT FRESH TO STRONG SE RETURN FLOW OVER THIS AREA. THIS IS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST INTO THE NW GULF WATERS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THE COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM CENTRAL LOUISIANA TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY MON MORNING WITH GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF 94W S OF 26N. THE GALE WILL BE SHORT LIVED WITH WINDS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE BY MON NIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM N FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN TUE MORNING...AND E OF THE GULF WATERS TUE NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... LATEST SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE GALE FORCE WINDS HAVE SHIFTED E OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH STRONG TO NEAR GALE WINDS COVERING THE NE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. LARGE NORTHERLY SWELL IS COVERING ALMOST THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA...EXCEPT W OF THE BAHAMAS WITH MAXIMUM SEAS NEAR 21 FT IN THE FAR NE PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. WHILE SEAS WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE...SEAS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WILL REMAIN ABOVE 8 FT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. HIGH PRES OVER THE EASTERN SEABOARD WILL SLIDE JUST N OF THE AREA THROUGH TUE BRINGING MODERATE ANTICYCLONIC BREEZE ACROSS THE BASIN. 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 LATE TUE AFTERNOON. THIS COLD FRONT WILL REACH FROM NEAR 31N73W TO W CUBA BY WED MORNING...AND FROM NEAR 31N69W TO CENTRAL CUBA THU. 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 AND WESTERN 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 CARIBBEAN. THE LARGE NW SWELL HAS MOVED INTO THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS WITH SEAS 8-10 FT. THE LARGE NORTHERLY SWELLS WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS TODAY WITH THE NORTHERLY SWELLS PREVAILING OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. A COLD FRONT WILL REACH THE FAR WESTERN GULF WATERS TUE NIGHT WHERE IT WILL STALL AND DISSIPATE. NOTE...GRIDDED MARINE FORECAST IS AVAILABLE AT WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/TAFB/GRIDDED_MARINE WARNINGS... GULF OF MEXICO... .GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 26N W OF 94W MON...GMZ017 AND GMZ023. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC... .NONE. SW N ATLC... .NONE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.HURRICANES.GOV/MARINE $$ FORECASTER AL