000 AGXX40 KNHC 290800 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 400 AM EDT Wed Mar 29 2017 Marine Weather Discussion for the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Tropical North Atlantic from 07N to 19N between 55W and 64W and the Southwest North Atlantic including the Bahamas ...GULF OF MEXICO... Weak high pressure from the western Atlantic extends westward to over the eastern portion of the area. Light east to southeast are noted over the eastern gulf, while fresh to strong southeast winds are elsewhere per buoy and latest scatterometer data. The pressure gradient between this high and deepening low pressure over the central United States will support the southeast winds over the western gulf to continue to expand in coverage through Thursday. A thermal trough will also enhance winds over the eastern Bay of Campeche the next two nights. A cold front associated with the low will approach the Texas coast tonight, and move over the northwest Gulf on Thursday, the north central Gulf Thursday night, and the northeast Gulf on Friday as it weakens. Mainly strong southerly winds will precede the front, with possible pockets of winds gusting to near gale force. Plenty of atmospheric instability will and upper level dynamics in play is expected to bring numerous showers and thunderstorms east ahead of the front Thursday through Friday across the northern gulf. High pressure will become centered north of the region this upcoming weekend, supporting mainly moderate easterly winds over the basin. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... Gentle to moderate trades continue over the Caribbean as a weak pressure pattern continues, hover high pressure building southward over the Bahamas will allow for the trades to increase in the trades to the entire Caribbean beginning this afternoon. By tonight, fresh to strong southeast winds will pulse over the Gulf of Honduras and along the NE coast of Colombia. This pattern of moderate to fresh trades over the majority of the Caribbean and fresh to strong winds over the Gulf of Honduras and Colombia coast will persist through Saturday night. Over the tropical Atlantic waters, mainly moderate trades will prevail through Wednesday with seas of 5-7 ft. A frontal trough extending from departing low pressure north of the region will reach the northern waters as a cold front by Thursday, disrupting the trade wind pattern with light to gentle winds prevailing over the northern waters into the weekend. Northerly swell inducing seas of 6-8 ft will propagate across the northern waters possibly starting on Friday night. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... Strong to near gale force winds over the far eastern portion of zone AMZ115 have diminished to strong north winds. Lingering northeast swell there is producing seas of 8-10 ft. These conditions will subside through this afternoon, with the winds becoming moderate to fresh northwest to north as high pressure over the Bahamas builds east-southeastward through Thursday in response to a weak cold front that clips the northern waters. The seas over that portion of the zone will lower to 6-8 ft this afternoon and to 5-7 ft tonight. The aforementioned high pressure will bring light to moderate anticyclonic winds to the western portion of the basin through Thursday. Mainly a moderate northerly wind shift will accompany the front, before it dissipates along about 27N Thursday night. After that time, return flow will develop and the pressure gradient will increase over the northwest waters between high pressure over the northeast Atlantic and an approaching front over the inland southeastern United States. The strong southerly winds across the northwest zones Friday will slide eastward ahead of the front as the front begins to move across the northwest zones on Saturday. Seas to 8 ft can be expected in this southerly flow ahead of the front. The front will then reach from near Bermuda to south Florida by Saturday night, and move across the northeast waters early on Sunday before exiting the area on Sunday afternoon. Fresh to strong west to northwest winds may possibly follow the front over zone AMZ115 on Sunday. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... None. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... None. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *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.nhc.noaa.gov/marine $$ .Forecaster Aguirre. National Hurricane Center.