000 AGXX40 KNHC 081929 MIMATS MARINE WEATHER DISCUSSION NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 229 PM EST TUE MAR 8 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: 12Z GFS AND 12Z ECMWF BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WIND FORECAST. 12Z NWPS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WAVE FORECAST. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW COVERS THE WHOLE GULF OF MEXICO. LATEST SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS AND SEAS ALONG WITH SHIP...BUOY...AND CMAN DATA DEPICT STRONG TO NEAR GALE WINDS OVER THE FAR NW WATERS WITH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS COVERING THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS. SEAS ARE IN THE 8-9 FT RANGE OVER THE NW WATERS WITH SEAS IN THE 7-8 FT RANGE COVERING THE REMAINDER OF THE GULF WATERS EXCEPT THE FAR NE WATERS WITH SEAS IN THE 3-5 FT RANGE AND THE FAR SW WATERS WITH SEAS IN THE 4-6 FT RANGE. GALE WARNINGS WILL START THIS EVENING OVER THE NW GULF COASTAL WATERS WITH FREQUENT GALE FORCE GUSTS. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NW GULF WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH GALE FORCE WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT N OF 22N AS WELL AS OVER THE SW GULF. GALES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING BEFORE WINDS DIMINISH BELOW GALE FORCE. THE FRONT WILL SLOW ITS FORWARD PROGRESS THU AND SLOWLY DRIFT EASTWARD THROUGH SATURDAY. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... MODEL PREFERENCE: 12Z GFS AND 12Z ECMWF BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WIND FORECAST. 12Z NWPS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WAVE FORECAST. HIGH CONFIDENCE. HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS OVER THE SW N ATLC WATERS. LATEST SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS AND SEAS ALONG WITH SHIP...BUOY...AND CMAN DATA DEPICT FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE WATERS N OF 18N...INCLUDING THE WINDWARD PASSAGE AS WELL AS SOUTH OF HISPANIOLA AND OFF THE COAST OF COLOMBIA. MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN WATERS. SEAS ARE IN THE 7-8 FT RANGE OVER THE WATERS WHERE STRONG WINDS PREVAIL AND 3-5 FT OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. A COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROPICAL N ATLC WATERS. WINDS ARE IN THE MODERATE TO FRESH RANGE N OF THE FRONT AND LIGHT TO GENTLE S OF THE FRONT. SEAS ARE IN THE 4-6 FT RANGE. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD N OF THE FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE CARIBBEAN WATERS AND INCREASE TRADES. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE COAST OF COLOMBIA EARLY THU AND FRI MORNINGS AS A RESULT OF THIS TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT AS FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PREVAIL OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE CARIBBEAN. THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL START TO WEAKEN BY WEEKS END. THIS WILL LOOSEN THE GRADIENT AND DIMINISH TRADES BY SATURDAY. SEAS WILL PEAK NEAR 14 FT OVER THE SOUTH CENTRAL CARIBBEAN THU AND FRI DUE TO THE GALE FORCE WINDS. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... MODEL PREFERENCE: 12Z GFS AND 12Z ECMWF BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WIND FORECAST. 12Z NWPS BLENDED WITH PREVIOUS OFFICIAL WAVE FORECAST. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE PREVAILS OVER THE FORECAST AREA. LATEST SATELLITE DERIVED WINDS AND SEAS ALONG WITH SHIP...BUOY...AND CMAN DATA DEPICT FRESH TO STRONG WINDS OVER THE SW WATERS INCLUDING THE APPROACHES TO THE WINDWARD PASSAGE WITH MODERATE TO FRESH WINDS OVER THE SE PART AND GENTLE TO MODERATE WINDS OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. SEAS ARE IN THE 6-8 FT RANGE OVER THE EASTERN WATERS IN NE SWELL...4-6 FT OVER THE NW WATERS...AND 3-5 FT W OF THE BAHAMAS. THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD THROUGH FRIDAY MAINTAINING THE FRESH TO STRONG TRADES OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS THROUGH FRIDAY. THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL WEAKEN SLIGHTLY FRIDAY WHICH WILL WEAKEN WINDS OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS BY SAT. $$ .WARNINGS...ANY CHANGES IMPACTING COASTAL NWS OFFICES WILL BE COORDINATED THROUGH AWIPS 12 PLANET CHAT OR BY TELEPHONE: .GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ011...NW GULF INCLUDING STETSON BANK... GALE WARNING TONIGHT INTO WED. .GMZ013...N CENTRAL GULF INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS MARINE SANCTUARY... GALE WARNING TONIGHT INTO WED NIGHT. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WED NIGHT INTO THU. .GMZ017...W CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N W OF 94W... GALE WARNING TONIGHT INTO WED. .GMZ019...CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N BETWEEN 87W AND 94W... GALE WARNING TONIGHT INTO WED NIGHT. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WED NIGHT. .GMZ023...SW GULF S OF 22N W OF 94W... GALE WARNING WED NIGHT. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... GALE WARNING WED NIGHT. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE WED NIGHT INTO FRI. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... NONE. $$ *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 AL. NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER.