000 AGXX40 KNHC 150818 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 318 AM EST Fri Dec 15 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 across the NW Gulf from New Orleans LA to Brownsville TX into NE Mexico. Surface observations show fresh to strong northerly winds within the Texas coastal waters. Northerly winds will rapidly increase to strong to near gale force later today, then increase to minimal gale offshore of Mexico, reaching near Veracruz tonight. Seas will build to 8-14 ft W of the front. The front will stall from near Tampa Bay FL to 25N95W to 19N95W by late tonight, with models suggesting that broad and weak low pressure possibly developing along the boundary in the SW Gulf by early Sat, then move northward into the NW Gulf through Sat evening with SE-S flow on the eastern side of the low increasing to fresh to strong. The low will then move inland over eastern Texas Sun morning, where it will then linger along with broad troughing over the coastal plain into early next week. Atlc high pressure that ridges westward across the area will block the trough from proceeding eastward across the forecast waters. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... A frontal trough over the western Caribbean extending from W of Jamaica to central Panama will dissipate this morning, and the seas will subside to 5-7 ft. Meanwhile, high pressure will build north of the region this weekend, and strengthen the gradient across the central Caribbean, where highest winds will reach minimal gale each night through Tue. Winds will diminish slightly to 25-30 during the day. Seas will build to 9-14 ft near the coast of Colombia. The fresh to strong trades will expand in coverage during the weekend into early next week, covering the entire central and SW Caribbean Saturday night through Tuesday night, with plumes of fresh to strong winds also across the approach to the Windward Passage, and in the lee of Hispaniola and Cuba. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... A cold front has transitioned to a broad trough that extends across the basin from 23N65W to central Cuba. Relatively weak high pressure is behind the front. Scatterometer and surface observations indicate mainly gentle to moderate winds W of the trough. Large northerly swell to 12 ft covering the NE waters, will decay through tonight, with seas of 4-7 ft elsewhere. Winds will increase in north-central waters as another weak frontal boundary north of the area, with little impact today. The boundary will push south of 31N tonight through Saturday night, with winds becoming fresh to strong and seas building to 8-10 ft N of 29N E of 77W. These conditions then shift east of the area by early Sunday. Strong high pressure will then build behind this front, with ridging settling along 28N into early next week, ushering in fairly tranquil marine conditions across the entire basin. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ017...W CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N W OF 94W... Gale Warning today into tonight. .GMZ023...SW GULF S OF 22N W OF 94W... Gale Warning today into tonight. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ031...CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W INCLUDING COLOMBIA BASIN... Gale Warning tonight. Gale Warning Sat night. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Sun night. GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Mon night. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *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 Mundell. National Hurricane Center.