000 AGXX40 KNHC 200754 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 354 AM EDT THU MAR 20 2014 MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W...AND THE SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS. ...GULF OF MEXICO... MODEL PREFERENCE: GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS/OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A STATIONARY FRONT OVER THE SE GULF WILL DISSIPATE TODAY BUT A SURFACE TROUGH...LIKELY REMNANTS OF THE FRONT...WILL LINGER NEAR THE WEST COAST OF THE YUCATAN PENINSULA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. A PAIR OF SHIP OBSERVATIONS INDICATE SE WINDS OF 20 KT ACROSS THE YUCATAN CHANNEL AND S OF THE FRONT WHILE NE WINDS OF 20 KT ARE NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA OFF THE WESTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA. LIGHT WINDS ARE BLOWING ACROSS THE N WATERS DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A RIDGE ANCHORED BY A WEAK HIGH PRES OVER THE NE GULF. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE REINFORCED BY A STRONGER HIGH PRES MOVING E TOWARD THE SE CONUS TODAY AND FRI PRODUCING MAINLY MODERATE TO FRESH NE-E WINDS. THIS SECOND HIGH WILL SHIFT EASTWARD ON FRI ALLOWING FOR GENTLE TO MODERATE SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TO SET UP ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF WATERS BY SAT. ON THIS DAY...THE RIDGE ACROSS THE AREA WILL WEAKEN AHEAD OF THE NEXT COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO ENTER THE NW GULF LATE SUN. THE FRONT WILL STRETCH FROM TAMPA BAY TO NE MEXICO NEAR 24N98W BY LATE MON. EXPECT NE WINDS OF 15-20 KT AND BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 6 FT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. OTHERWISE...SEAS WILL GENERALLY RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 FT DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 65W... MODEL PREFERENCE: GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS/OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. HIGH CONFIDENCE. THE MOST RECENT SCATTEROMETER DATA PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA EARLY TODAY AS WELL AS LATE THU NIGHT AND EARLY FRI MORNING DUE TO A TIGHT PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN HIGH BUILDING N OF AREA AND THE COLOMBIAN/ PANAMANIAM LOW. AN ALTIMETER PASS INDICATED SEAS OF UP TO 10-11 FT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG TRADES WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH HIGHEST WINDS OCCURRING NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA DURING LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS. EXPECT BUILDING SEAS OF 8-12 FT WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS. MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH WINDS WILL PREVAIL ELSEWHERE...EXCEPT A GENTLE TO MODERATE BREEZE ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN. MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC WITH BUILDING SEAS TO 8 FT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS LATE TODAY. SEAS WILL FURTHER BUILD TO 9 FT BY SAT AS THE TRADES STRENGTHEN ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLC WATERS. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... MODEL PREFERENCE: GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS/OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM 27N65W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS NEAR 23N75W THEN BECOMES STATIONARY ACROSS THE NORTHERN COAST OF WESTERN CUBA. MAINLY LIGHT TO GENTLE WINDS ARE NOTED ACROSS THE AREA WITH MODERATE NE WINDS W OF THE BAHAMAS INTO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. AN ALTIMETER PASS SHOWED SEAS UP TO 11 FT IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT ACROSS THE N WATERS...PARTICULARLY N OF 28N. SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE FROM W TO E TODAY. A SECOND...WEAKER COLD FRONT WILL CLIP THE N PORTION FRI AND MERGE WITH THE FIRST FRONT WHICH WILL DISSIPATE FROM 27N65W TO THE SOUTHERN BAHAMAS BY SAT. HIGH PRES MOVING E JUST N OF THE AREA SAT AND SUN WILL PRODUCE MODERATE NE-E WINDS ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION WITH SEAS IN THE 4-6 FT RANGE E OF THE BAHAMAS. AS THE HIGH PRES MOVES FARTHER E...EXPECT WINDS TO VEER TO THE S AND SW ACROSS THE N WATERS LATE ON SUN. A COLD FRONT FROM THE N WILL MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS SUN NIGHT INTO MON...STRETCHING FROM 31N65W TO 28N81W BY LATE MON. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED BEHIND THE FRONT WITH BUILDING SEAS TO AROUND 10 FT. $$ .WARNINGS...ANY CHANGES IMPACTING COASTAL NWS OFFICES WILL BE COORDINATED THROUGH AWIPS 12 PLANET CHAT OR BY TELEPHONE: .GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... GALE WARNING EARLY TODAY INTO FRI. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... NONE. $$ *FOR DETAILED ZONE DESCRIPTIONS PLEASE VISIT: HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/ABOUTTAFBPROD.SHTML#OWF NOTE: GRIDDED MARINE FORECASTS ARE AVAILABLE IN THE NATIONAL DIGITAL FORECAST DATABASE (NDFD) AT: HTTP://WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/MARINE/GRIDS.PHP FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: HTTP://WWW.HURRICANE WARNINGS.GOV/MARINE $$ .FORECASTER GR. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.