000 AGXX40 KNHC 271854 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 154 PM EST FRI FEB 27 2015 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: LATEST GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A COLD FRONT EXTENDS ACROSS THE FAR SE WATERS. A REINFORCING COLD FRONT HAS REACHED THE NORTH-CENTRAL WATERS AND WILL DISSIPATE LATER TODAY. NORTHERLY WINDS OF 20-25 KT ARE NOTED BEHIND THIS REINFORCING COLD FRONT WITH SEAS TO AROUND 7 FT. FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS ARE ALSO NOTED PER SCATTEROMETER DATA NW OF THE MAIN COLD FRONT...PARTICULARLY S OF 26N E OF 90W. THE COLD FRONT OVER THE FAR SE WATERS WILL STALL OVER THE FLORIDA STRAITS TODAY AND SLOWLY DISSIPATE THROUGH SAT. STRONG HIGH PRES OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS OF U.S. EXTENDS A RIDGE ACROSS THE GULF WATERS IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE RIDGE AND THE FRONT WILL BE THIGH ENOUGH TO SUPPORT FRESH TO STRONG NE WINDS ACROSS THE N WATERS THROUGH SAT NIGHT WITH BUILDING SEAS TO 9 FT...THEN WINDS WILL DIMINISH ON SUN AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO MOVE EASTWARD. SE RETURN FLOW WILL SET UP OVER THE WESTERN WATERS EARLY NEXT WEEK AND PREVAIL AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE NW WATERS THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... MODEL PREFERENCE: LATEST GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A WINDSAT PASS FROM AROUND 1130 UTC PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF GALE FORCE WINDS NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA WITH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS BLOWING ACROSS MOST OF THE EAST AND CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. GENTLE TO MODERATE SE WINDS PREVAIL ACROSS THE NW CARIBBEAN ON THE SE SIDE OF THE COLD FRONT LOCATED OVER THE FAR SE GULF OF MEXICO. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO PULSE TO MINIMAL GALE FORCE NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...PARTICULARLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS AS A STRONG RIDGE BUILDS N OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE BUILDING RIDGE WILL ALLOW TRADES TO INCREASE FROM THE TROPICAL N ATLC THROUGH THE SW CARIBBEAN TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...THEN DIMINISH SLIGHTLY ACROSS THE TROPICAL N ATLC AND EASTERN CARIBBEAN LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE CENTRAL ATLC WEAKENS AND STRONGER RIDGING BUILDS FARTHER WEST OVER THE CAROLINAS...WHICH IN TURN WILL ALLOW FOR FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE S CENTRAL...SW AND NW CARIBBEAN THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. EXPECT BUILDING SEAS UP TO 10 FT E OF THE LESSER ANTILLES DURING THE UPCOMING WEEKEND DUE TO A PERSISTENT TRADE WIND FLOW ACROSS THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC WATERS. EXPECT BUILDING SEAS OF 12-14 FT NEAR THE COAST OF COLOMBIA TONIGHT... AND SEAS OF 13-15 FT SAT NIGHT INTO SUN MORNING...AND SUN NIGHT INTO MON MORNING. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... MODEL PREFERENCE: LATEST GFS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. MWW3 FOR WAVE PARAMETERS. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A RIDGE PREVAILS OVER THE EASTERN FORECAST WATERS WHILE A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEAR BERMUDA TO THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. MODERATE TO FRESH SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ARE JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT WHILE MODERATE TO FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS ARE NOTED BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS INCREASE TO 20-25 KT ACROSS THE SOUTH WATERS MAINLY S OF 22N AND ALONG THE SOUTHERN PERIPHERY OF THE RIDGE THAT EXTENDS FROM A STRONG HIGH PRES OF 1040 MB LOCATED NEAR THE AZORES. SEAS ARE IN THE 8-9 FT RANGE OVER THE NE WATERS...AND 5-7 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WATERS OUTSIDE THE BAHAMAS. SEAS ARE IN THE 1-3 FT RANGE W OF THE BAHAMAS. THE FRONT WILL LIFT NORTHWARD AND ALIGN ALONG 27N EARLY SUN BEFORE DISSIPATING SUN NIGHT. RIDGING WILL EXTEND ALONG 30N MON BEFORE SHIFTING TO A LINE FROM BERMUDA TO SOUTH FLORIDA BY TUE NIGHT. EXPECT INCREASING WINDS ACROSS THE NW WATERS TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY SUN. MARINE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS NE WINDS OF 20-25 KT AND SEAS TO 10 FT BY SAT. $$ .WARNINGS...ANY CHANGES IMPACTING COASTAL NWS OFFICES WILL BE COORDINATED THROUGH AWIPS 12 PLANET CHAT OR BY TELEPHONE: .GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... GALE WARNING TODAY INTO SUN. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SUN NIGHT INTO TUE. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... NONE. $$ *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.