000 AGXX40 KNHC 130714 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 214 AM EST Wed Dec 13 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 cold front extends from the SE Gulf near Florida Bay to across the central portion through 24N90W to 25N97W. Mainly moderate to fresh northerly winds follow the front, however earlier some fresh to strong winds were observed in the NE and E central Gulf. Seas are 5-8 ft in the eastern Gulf behind the front, and 3-5 ft elsewhere. High pressure will build in the wake of the front allowing for winds and seas to diminish and subside. The tail end of a weak cold front will clip the NE portion Thu morning with little impact to marine conditions. A stronger cold front will move into the NW portion Thu afternoon and will move very slowly with only gentle to moderate northerly winds at first behind it. The front will get reinvigorated Thu night into early as upper level support picks up, with it beginning to pick up eastward movement, and with winds increasing to fresh to strong behind it by early Fri morning. The front will reach from the central Florida Panhandle to the N central Gulf near 27N90W to near Tampico, Mexico by Fri afternoon, with winds increasing to minimal gale force offshore of Tampico and Veracruz into Fri night. The front will weaken by early Sat with the central and western portion stalling out and lifting back NW-N as a warm front through Sat night. The front may then shift back to the E and SE Sun as additional upper level support arrives helping to slowly push it eastward through early next week. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... A broad stationary front will gradually dissipate from near the Windward Passage to central Panama through today, becoming a remnant trough on Thu and Fri. A recent scatterometer pass confirmed strong northerly winds W of the front and S of 18N, mainly offshore of eastern Honduras and Nicaragua, where seas are also 7-9 ft in open waters. Winds and seas will gradually diminish through Thu as the gradient weakens. Moderate to locally fresh northerly winds will follow another front entering the northwest Caribbean later this morning through the afternoon. The front will stall from central Cuba to central Honduras Thu and dissipate Thu night. High pressure will build behind the front allowing for the return of strong nocturnal trades offshore of Colombia starting Thu, with at least near gale force winds possible Sat night and Sun night. The fresh to strong trades will cover the entire central Caribbean for the second half of the weekend into early next week, with plumes of stronger winds across the approaches to the Windward and Mona Passages. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... A stationary front from 28N65W to the Windward Passage will begin to move eastward later this morning as a strong cold front extending from 31N73W to S Florida pushes eastward. Recent scatterometer data showed gale force winds N of 29N both ahead of and behind the cold front, and a gale warning is in effect early this morning, diminishing through the afternoon. Fresh to strong winds are both ahead of and behind the front elsewhere N of 26N. Large seas of 8-14 ft are N of 28N. The cold front will reach from 26N65W to central Cuba Thu, before stalling and dissipating along roughly 22N Fri. Another cold front will move into the northern waters by early Fri, but model guidance continues to back off of the strength of this front and associated winds and seas with the latest forecast keeping winds 20 kt or less. Ridging will build in from the SW to NE across the basin Thu through Fri allowing for a brief period of more tranquil marine conditions. Yet another cold front is forecast to move into the NW portion Fri night into Sat with fresh to strong winds both ahead and behind it, mainly N of 29N/30N. That front will rapidly shift SE and weaken through Sun with return flow dominating the basin for the second half of the weekend into early next week. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ017...W CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N W OF 94W... GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Fri into Fri night. .GMZ023...SW GULF S OF 22N W OF 94W... GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Fri night. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Sat night. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Sun night. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... .AMZ113...ATLANTIC FROM 27N TO 31N BETWEEN 70W AND 77W... Gale Warning early today. .AMZ115...ATLANTIC FROM 27N TO 31N BETWEEN 65W AND 70W... Gale Warning today. $$ *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 Lewitsky. National Hurricane Center.