000 AGXX40 KNHC 101925 MIMATS Marine Weather Discussion NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL 225 PM EST Wed Jan 10 2018 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... Low pressure centered near 26N87W continues to drift SW with a pair of surface troughs extending north and south of the low. Light and variable winds are near the low center with moderate winds elsewhere over the Gulf basin. The low and troughs will dissipate through tonight, as return flow becomes established across the entire Gulf basin. Fresh to strong SE winds are expected tonight W of 95W through Thu morning. By Thu evening a strong cold front will emerge off the Texas coast with a pre- frontal trough moving in tandem with the cold front SE across the Gulf basin through Fri afternoon. Gale force NW winds are expected W of the front over the NW Gulf Thu night through Fri morning. Gale force winds are also expected after the passage of the pre- frontal trough Thu night near the coast of Vera Cruz and also after the frontal passage early Fri. Strong to near gale- force winds are expected elsewhere over the western Gulf through Fri. The pressure gradient will not be as tight behind this front as it crosses the eastern Gulf, but still sufficient to support fresh to strong NW winds Fri and Fri night. Seas during this frontal event will build to 8 to 14 ft with the highest seas over the western Gulf. A reinforcing cold front will cross the eastern Gulf on Saturday with fresh to occasionally strong northerly winds expected Sat and Sat night. High pressure will build over the north central Gulf Sun and Mon in the wake of this secondary cold front. ...CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... A surface trough over the western Caribbean will weaken through tonight. The combination of this surface trough and an upper trough over the region will continue to support showers and thunderstorms across the NW Caribbean through Thu morning. Mainly gentle to moderate winds cover the western Caribbean and will continue to do so until late Fri, when a cold front will reach the NW Caribbean. This cold front will reach the SW Caribbean late Sat. Fresh to strong winds are expected behind the front during this time frame. Then, possible gale force winds will develop Sun into Sun night as strong high pressure builds north of the Western Caribbean in the wake of a secondary cold front. Seas to 11 ft will build under the strong to gale-force winds. Elsewhere over the Caribbean, Moderate to fresh trades over the central and Eastern Caribbean will increase to fresh to strong Thu through Fri night as high pressure moves from the NE United States and slides eastward. Seas to 8 ft will be possible during this time. The high will shift east to the central Atlc this weekend, allowing for winds to diminish somewhat over this portion of the basin. Fresh trades and seas of 8 to 9 ft will continue to affect the tropical Atlantic zones through Thu. High pres building eastward to the north of the region will increase winds to fresh to locally strong over the zones north of 16N Fri and Sat. Although winds will decrease below 20 kt by Sun, large swell will continue to affect the tropical Atlantic waters. ...SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... A surface trough extends just E of Florida to near central Cuba. Fresh to strong winds north and east of the Bahamas induced by a tight pressure gradient between this trough and high pres to the north will gradually diminish below 20 kt through Thu as the trough moves NW and inland over the SE United States. The high pressure north of the region will expand SE in the wake of the trough and support fresh to locally strong SE winds over much of the forecast waters Thu night through Fri. Strong winds over the waters N of 28N will expand in coverage late Fri and become S to SW as a cold front approaches from the west. This area of winds will build seas to 8 to 11 ft east of northern Florida to about 70W. The cold front will reach the waters E of Florida early Sat and then is expected to stall from about 31N72W to eastern Cuba on Sun. Mainly moderate to fresh NW to N winds are expected behind this front through Sun. A secondary front may bring stronger winds to the region Sun night into Mon. $$ .WARNINGS...Any changes impacting coastal NWS offices will be coordinated through AWIPS II Collaboration Chat, or by telephone: .GULF OF MEXICO... .GMZ011...NW GULF INCLUDING STETSON BANK... Gale Warning Thu night into Fri. .GMZ013...N CENTRAL GULF INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS MARINE SANCTUARY... Gale Warning Thu night into Fri. .GMZ017...W CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N W OF 94W... Gale Warning Thu night into Fri. .GMZ019...CENTRAL GULF FROM 22N TO 26N BETWEEN 87W AND 94W... Gale Warning Thu night into Fri. .GMZ023...SW GULF S OF 22N W OF 94W... Gale Warning Thu night into Fri. .CARIBBEAN SEA AND TROPICAL N ATLANTIC FROM 07N TO 19N BETWEEN 55W AND 64W... .AMZ029...W CENTRAL CARIBBEAN FROM 11N TO 15N W OF 80W... GALE CONDITIONS POSSIBLE Sun into Sun night. .SW N ATLANTIC INCLUDING THE BAHAMAS... None. $$ *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 Latto. National Hurricane Center.