000 AGXX40 KNHC 250742 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 242 AM EST THU FEB 25 2016 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: 0000 UTC GFS/MWW3 BLEND WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. HIGH CONFIDENCE. THE STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WAS AFFECTING THE GULF WATERS WITH GALE FORCE WINDS AND SEA HEIGHTS OF 12-14 FT HAS JUST MOVE SE OF THE AREA. AT 25/0600 UTC...THE FRONT EXTENDS JUST OFF SE FLORIDA TO WESTERN CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS. RECENT SCATTEROMETER AND SURFACE DATA INDICATED FRESH TO STRONG NW-N WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT TO ABOUT 94W...INCLUDING THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. SIMILAR WIND SPEEDS ARE ALSO NOTED OVER THE SW GULF S OF 22N W OF 94W. THE MOST RECENT ALTIMETER PASS ALONG WITH BUOY AND MARINE PLATFORM OBSERVATIONS SHOWED SEAS IN THE 12-14 FT...EXCEPT ACROSS THE FAR NW WATERS WHERE SEAS ARE GENERALLY UNDER 8 FT. HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT CENTERED OVER THE NW GULF WILL BE REINFORCING BY A STRONGER HIGH PRES TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRI. THIS WILL BRIEFLY SUPPORT FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG NW TO N WINDS OVER THE N CENTRAL AND NE WATERS AND GENTLE TO MODERATE N TO NE WINDS ELSEWHERE. THE HIGH WILL SLIDE EAST ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND WHICH WILL RESULT IN GRADUAL VEERING OF THE WINDS TO E-SE BY SUNDAY. FRESH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS EXPECTED ON SUN ACROSS THE NW AND WEST CENTRAL WATERS DUE TO THE PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE THE RIDGE AND A FRONTAL SYSTEM OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND W TEXAS. WAVEWATCH GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT SEAS WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE FROM W TO E ACROSS THE GULF REGION AND WILL BE LESS THAN 8 FT ALL ZONE BY EARLY TONIGHT. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... MODEL PREFERENCE: 0000 UTC GFS/MWW3 BLEND WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED INTO THE NW CARIBBEAN AND NOW EXTENDS FROM WESTERN CUBA TO THE GULF OF HONDURAS. SCATTEROMETER DATA AND FEWSHIP OBSERVATIONS PROVIDED OBSERVATIONS OF FRESH TO STRONG NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT...INCLUDING THE YUCATAN CHANNEL. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE AND EXTEND FROM EASTERN CUBA TO NE HONDURAS THIS EVENING...FROM THE WINDWARD PASSAGE TO NEAR CABO GRACIAS A DIOS NICARAGUA BY FRIDAY EVENING...AND FROM HISPANIOLA TO THE SW CARIBBEAN NEAR 11N83W BY SAT EVENING WHILE GRADUALLY WEAKENING. WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL SLIGHTLY DIMINISH TODAY...BUT WILL INCREASE AGAIN TONIGHT INTO FRI AS HIGH PRES STRENGTHENS ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF. BY FRI NIGHT...EXPECT FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG NE WINDS IN THE LEE OF CUBA AND ACROSS THE WINDWARD PASSAGE. THESE WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUN. FRESH TO STRONG TRADES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN...PARTICULARLY DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE 25-30 KT RANGE WITHIN ABOUT 90 NM OF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. SEAS WILL BUILD TO 8-10 FT WITH THESE WINDS. MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WILL PERSIST ELSEWHERE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... MODEL PREFERENCE: 0000 UTC GFS/MWW3 BLEND WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL FORECAST. HIGH CONFIDENCE. A STRONG COLD FRONT HAS ENTERED THE NW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA AND CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM 31N77W TO JUST OFF SE FLORIDA AND WESTERN CUBA. A 150 NM WIDE-BAND OF SHOWERS WITH EMBEDDED TSTMS IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT. FRESH TO STRONG WINDS ARE NOTED AHEAD AND BEHIND THE FRONT N OF 27N PER THE MOST RECENT SCATTEROMETER DATA WITH GALE FORCE WINDS JUST N OF AREA. THE FRONT WILL CONTINUE EAST REACHING A POSITION FROM 31N68W TO THE CENTRAL BAHAMAS AND EASTERN CUBA THIS EVENING...FROM 28N65W TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE FRI EVENING...AND FROM 23N65W TO HISPANIOLA BY SAT EVENING. SEAS ARE FORECAST TO BUILD TO 10-11 FT N OF 27N W OF THE FRONT BY THIS MORNING. FRESH TO STRONG W TO NW WINDS WILL PERSIST MAINLY N OF 28N BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH FRI. HIGH PRES WILL GRADUALLY BUILD E ACROSS THE SW N ATLC DURING THE WEEKEND WITH MAINLY MODERATE TO LOCALLY FRESH NORTHERLY WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA. FRESH N-NE WINDS WILL PERSIST WITHIN ABOUT 90-120 NM NW OF FRONT. BY LATE SUN...EXPECT FRESH TO LOCALLY STRONG NE WINDS ACROSS THE WATERS S OF 23N-24N WITH BUILDING SEAS TO 8-9 FT DUE TO A PRES GRADIENT BETWEEN THE FRONT LOCATED AT THAT TIME OVER THE FAR SE WATERS AND A HIGH PRES CENTER OVER THE N-CENTRAL WATERS. $$ .WARNINGS...ANY CHANGES IMPACTING COASTAL NWS OFFICES WILL BE COORDINATED THROUGH AWIPS 12 PLANET CHAT OR BY TELEPHONE: .GULF OF MEXICO... NONE. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... NONE. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... NONE. $$ *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.