000 AGXX40 KNHC 150619 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 219 AM EDT FRI MAR 15 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... 1028 MB HIGH PRES IS CENTERED OVER SE LOUISIANA WITH RIDGING EXTENDING FROM THE HIGH ALONG THE U.S. GULF COAST. 1-3 FT SEAS ARE ACROSS THE NE AND N CENTRAL GULF WITH 3-5 FT ELSEWHERE...EXCEPT UP TO 7 FT NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. LIGHT TO MODERATE WINDS ARE SW OF THE HIGH OFF THE COASTS OF LOUISIANA AND TEXAS NEAR THE GALVESTON METRO AREA...WITH MAINLY MODERATE...LOCALLY FRESH NEAR THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND SE GULF...ANTICYCLONIC WINDS ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE GULF. AN EXCEPTION IS NEAR THE YUCATAN COAST WHERE TYPICAL NOCTURNAL JET ENHANCED FRESH TO STRONG WINDS NE-E WINDS ARE PRESENT AS MEASURED BY A RECENT ASCAT PASS. THE HIGH WILL DRIFT TO THE E-SE TO ACROSS THE FLORIDA PENINSULA DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW DOMINATING THE GULF WATERS... MODERATE IN THE E GULF...AND MODERATE TO FRESH IN THE W GULF. LITTLE CHANGE IN THESE CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT WHICH WILL APPROACH THE TEXAS COAST MON NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY DROP S REACHING FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NEAR THE TEXAS/MEXICO BORDER TUE MORNING WITH NORTHERLY INITIALLY FRESH TO NEAR GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND IT. THE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL DIMINISH SLIGHTLY WHILE TURNING MORE TO THE NE-E AS THE FRONT SAGS TO THE S...REACHING FROM SW FLORIDA TO THE CENTRAL GULF WHERE IT WILL BECOME STATIONARY BACK TOWARD THE LOWER TEXAS COAST. IT IS THEN FORECAST TO LIFT BACK TO THE N AS A WARM FRONT BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLC S OF 22N W OF 55W... A PREVIOUSLY STATIONARY FRONT THAT WAS EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN TIP OF CUBA BACK TOWARD EASTERN HONDURAS HAS SHIFTED SE NOW REACHING FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO WESTERN JAMAICA TO EASTERN HONDURAS AS CONFIRMED BY RECENT SCATTEROMETER DATA. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE W OF THE FRONT ALONG WITH SEAS OF 8-9 FT AS MEASURED BY AREA SHIPS AND BUOYS. THIS FRONT WILL DEGENERATE INTO A SHEAR LINE WHILE SHIFTING SLIGHTLY MORE TO THE SE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...DISSIPATING BY 48 HOURS. E OF THE FRONT...NE-E MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS EXIST...EXCEPT LOCALLY TO STRONG NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. FRESH TO STRONG TRADES WILL SET UP ACROSS THE CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THIS WEEKEND AS WELL AS IN THE WINDWARD PASSAGE (SAT AND SAT NIGHT) CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRES REMAINS IN CONTROL N OF THE AREA WITH LOWER PRES OVER NW COLOMBIA. WINDS WILL LIKELY INCREASE TO 30 KT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA WITH SEAS BUILDING TO 11-12 FT BY THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEKEND AS THE PRES GRADIENT TIGHTENS. IN THE TROPICAL N ATLC...A SHEAR LINE IS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN WATERS FROM 10N55W TO ACROSS TRINIDAD WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR THIS BOUNDARY. THIS BOUNDARY WILL BECOME DIFFUSE THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. ANOTHER SHEAR LINE WILL SINK S INTO THE NORTHERN WATERS SUN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH NE 20-25 KT WINDS N OF IT AND 15 KT WINDS S OF IT. THE SHEAR LINE WILL REACH TO ALONG 20N SUN EVENING...18N MON MORNING...16.5N TUE MORNING...DISSIPATING BY WED. SW N ATLC S OF 31N W OF 55W... A PAIR OF COLD FRONTS ARE CONTINUING TO IMPACT THE BASIN. THE EASTERN FRONT REACHES FROM 31N60W TO 26N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WITH A TRAILING AND REINFORCING FRONT EXTENDING FROM BERMUDA TO 27N73W. SCATTERED SHOWERS PRECEDE BOTH FRONTS ALTHOUGH ANY ASSOCIATED ISOLATED TSTMS NOW APPEAR TO BE N OF 31N. MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS ARE BEHIND THE FRONTS...LOCALLY TO STRONG N OF EASTERN CUBA AND ALSO BEHIND THE REINFORCING FRONT. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD IN FROM THE W-NW TODAY WITH A RIDGE SETTLING ALONG 27N BY SAT MORNING. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO LIGHT TO MODERATE AS THIS OCCURS. THIS RIDGE WILL THEN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN FIRMLY IN PLACE THROUGH SUN...SHIFTING N TO ALONG 29N BY MORNING MORNING...THEN TO ALONG 31N TUE MORNING. AS THE RIDGE HOLDS IN PLACE ANY NEW FRONTS OR FRONTAL TROUGHS THAT TRY TO APPROACH THE AREA WILL BE RESTRICTED TO THE WATERS N OF 30N/31N. THE RIDGE AND HIGH WILL WEAKEN TUE FINALLY ALLOWING FOR ANOTHER FRONT TO IMPACT THE BASIN. THAT FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW PORTION TUE AFTERNOON...REACHING FROM 31N76W TO CAPE CANAVERAL FLORIDA TUE EVENING...THEN FROM 31N69W TO SE FLORIDA WED MORNING. FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THIS FRONT ALONG WITH 7-9 FT SEAS. 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 LEWITSKY