000 AGXX40 KNHC 310733 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 333 AM EDT Fri Mar 31 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... A weak cold front reaching from near Vermilion Bay Louisiana to 25N95W will shift east of the basin today, leaving a trailing stationary front from near Fort Myers Florida to Galveston Bay Texas by late Saturday. A line of showers and thunderstorms along a weakening squall line ahead of the front over the northeast Gulf will dissipate later this morning. A weak pressure pattern will maintain generally gentle to moderate breezes across the region through Saturday with 2 to 4 ft seas. The front will lift north late Saturday through Sunday ahead of low pressure developing over the southern Plains. The low pressure will shift northeast into the lower Mississippi Valley through Sunday, supporting fresh to strong southerly flow over much of the northwest and central Gulf with seas building to 8 ft accompanied by scattered showers and thunderstorms. Strong to near gale force winds are possible over the north central Gulf late Sunday into early Monday. The front will shift east through the Florida peninsula through Monday. Winds and seas diminish through early next week as high pressure builds behind the front. Looking ahead, a general consensus among major models shows another cold front will move into the northwest Gulf by mid week followed by strong northerly winds. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... Weak high pressure north of the area will maintain gentle to moderate breezes persist over most of the Caribbean and tropical north Atlantic waters west of 55W through Friday. Trade winds will increase and seas will building starting Friday night across the area as strong high pressure builds to the north, with fresh to strong winds pulsing overnight off Colombia and the Gulf of Honduras through early next week. Meanwhile longer period northerly swell reaching 8 to 10 ft will reach the Leeward Islands by late Saturday, then propagate southward along the Atlantic exposures of the Windward Islands through late Sunday. The swell is generated by a powerful low pressure system in the north central Atlantic, and will gradually decay below 8 ft over the tropical north Atlantic through Tuesday. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... Moderate to fresh southerly flow off northeast Florida will increase today ahead of cold front approaching from the Gulf of Mexico. The front will shift eastward and reach from Bermuda to southeast Florida by late Saturday. The northern portion of the front will shift east of the area Sunday, as the southern portion stalls along roughly 27N Saturday, and becomes diffuse Sunday. Meanwhile northerly swell to 9 ft will propagate southward over the region east of 70W and north of 27N through early next week. The pattern will repeat starting late Sunday as southerly flow again increases off northeast Florida ahead of a second cold front approaching from the west. Looking ahead, this front will make little progress east and lift northward again by mid week ahead of a third strong front moving eastward across the Gulf of Mexico. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... None. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... None. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *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 Christensen. National Hurricane Center.