000
AGXX40 KNHC 121812
MIMATS

MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 
230 PM EDT TUE MAR 12 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...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE TAMPA BAY AREA 
FLORIDA TO THE NE YUCATAN PENINSULA. SHIP AND BUOY DATA INDICATE 
MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS JUST WEST OF THE FRONT. GENTLE TO 
MODERATE BREEZE DOMINATES THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. SEAS 
CONTINUE TO SUBSIDE IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT AND NOW AN AREA OF 
8 FT SEAS IS NOTED S OF 24N W OF FRONT TO 94W. THE COLD FRONT 
WILL CONTINUE TO SHIFT EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON...AND WILL MOVE 
SE OF THE AREA BY TONIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD 
ACROSS THE GULF WATERS BEHIND THE FRONT HELPING TO PRODUCE A 
TIGHT PRES GRADIENT TO SUPPORT FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS 
OVER THE E PART OF THE GULF WATERS THROUGH THU. SOUTHERLY RETURN 
FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN GULF BY SAT AS HIGH PRES 
SLIDES EWD ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF STATES.  
                                               
SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W...LARGE NORTHERLY SWELL CONTINUES TO 
BE THE MAIN FEATURE OF INTEREST...DOMINATING THE REGION WITH 
SEAS RANGING FROM 12 TO 18 FT BETWEEN 55W AND 65W AND 8 TO 12 FT 
W OF 65W AND E OF THE BAHAMAS. SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE FROM 
W TO E THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AS HIGH PRES BUILDS ACROSS THE 
AREA. THE 1144 UTC WINDSAT PASS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF 20-25 
KT WINDS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT FORECAST TO ENTER THE FAR NW PART 
OF THE FORECAST REGION BY TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL EXTEND 
FROM NEAR 31N74W TO WESTERN CUBA WED MORNING...FROM BERMUDA TO 
EASTERN CUBA THU MORNING...FROM 23N65W TO HAITI FRI BEFORE 
STALLING ALONG 22N SAT. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THE 
WAKE OF THE FRONT RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN WINDS AND SEAS IN 
BEHIND THE FRONT LATE WED THROUGH FRI. A LOW PRES SYSTEM 
CURRENTLY LOCATED N OF AREA NEAR 32.5N48W WILL MOVE SE AT AROUND 
10 KT REACHING A POSITION NEAR 28.5N46.5W IN ABOUT 24 HOURS. AN 
EARLIER WINDSAT PASS AND THE 1306 UTC ASCAT PASS BOTH SHOWED AN 
AREA OF 20-30 KT NLY WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL ATLC N OF 23N 
BETWEEN 55W AND 60W. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH ACROSS THIS 
AREA BY WED AS LOW PRES MOVES SE. 

CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W...AN EARLIER 
ASCAT PASS AND SOME SHIP OBSERVATIONS SHOWED FRESH TO STRONG 
WINDS OVER THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...PARTICULARLY NEAR THE COAST 
OF COLOMBIA WHERE THE STRONGEST WINDS OF 25-30 KT ARE BLOWING. 
FRESH TO STRONG TRADEWINDS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE SOUTH-CENTRAL 
CARIBBEAN THROUGH THU. SEAS ARE 8-10 FT OFF THE COAST OF 
COLOMBIA AND 4-7 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. LARGE 
NORTHERLY SWELL PREVAILS OVER THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS WITH 
SEAS 8-11 FT. THE LARGE NORTHERLY SWELLS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE 
TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS THROUGH THURSDAY BEFORE DIMINISHING BELOW 
8 FT BY LATE FRIDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE FAR W 
CARIBBEAN TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM WESTERN CUBA TO 
THE GULF OF HONDURAS WED MORNING...FROM EASTERN CUBA TO THE GULF 
OF HONDURAS THU MORNING...THEN STALL AND WEAKEN TO A SHEAR LINE 
FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO THE NEAR THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA 
BORDER BY FRI BEFORE DISSIPATING SAT. EXPECT FRESH TO STRONG 
WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 9 FT BEHIND THE FRONT.
 
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 AL