000 FZNT24 KNHC 160904 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO SEAS GIVEN AS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT...WHICH IS THE AVERAGE HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST 1/3 OF THE WAVES. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE MORE THAN TWICE THE SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT. GMZ089-161530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 .SYNOPSIS...LOW PRES 1016 MB OFF W CENTRAL FLORIDA MOVES EAST THIS MORNING. TRAILING COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM LOW PRES TO 24N98W MOVES THROUGH THE EASTERN GULF TODAY...AND WILL EXTEND FROM WESTERN CUBA TO BORDER OF TEXAS AND MEXICO BY TONIGHT...BEFORE SHIFTING S OF THE AREA AND DISSIPATING TUE. HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE EASTERN U.S. BEHIND THE FRONT TUE. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASES OVER THE WESTERN GULF TUE INTO WED AHEAD OF A ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE NW GULF WED AFTERNOON. THE FRONT SURGES THROUGH THE GULF THU...FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRES BUILDING OVER THE NORTHERN GULF ON FRI. $$ GMZ080-161530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT TUE NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 20 KT...SHIFTING TO NW 10 TO 15 KT W OF FRONT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT E OF FRONT...AND SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT W OF FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...NE WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT THROUGHOUT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT LATE. .FRI...NE TO E WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 6 FT S OF 27N...AND TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N LATE. $$ GMZ082-161530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 .TODAY...N OF 23N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 23N NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TONIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT TUE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. .THU AND FRI...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE THU INTO FRI MORNING...THEN DIMINISHING TO NE TO E 15 TO 20 KT FRI. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 10 FT...SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 8 FT N OF 23N LATE. $$ GMZ084-161530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT THROUGHOUT...DIMINISHING TO NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT TONIGHT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT TUE NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .WED...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT. S OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU...N OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...N TO NE WIND 15 TO 20 KT THROUGHOUT EARLY...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 28N. $$ GMZ086-161530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST MON FEB 16 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...SHIFTING NE TONIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...N OF 25N SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...SHIFTING SE TUE NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .WED...N OF 27N WINDS BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING 6 TO 9 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU...N OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT N TO NE S OF 26N... DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT THROUGHOUT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN