000 FZNT24 KNHC 131506 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 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. GMZ089-132130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM MOBILE ALABAMA SW TO 23N95W. THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY BECOME DIFFUSE THROUGH TONIGHT AS ATLC HIGH PRES WILL BUILDS W ACROSS THE MIDDLE AND EASTERN GULF THROUGH MORNING WITH RETURN FLOW OVER THE WESTERN GULF. THE HIGH WILL THEN SHIFT E TUE...AND ALLOW FOR A STRONG COLD FRONT TO MOVE SE OFF THE TEXAS COAST TUE AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY REACH FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA TO TAMPICO BY LATE TUE...AND WEAKEN FROM S FLORIDA TO NEAR VERA CRUZ MEXICO WED AND THU AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE GULF. $$ GMZ080-132130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...NW OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT IN SE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING SE TO S AND INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .TUE...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND THU...NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT FAR N PORTION THU. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT FAR N PORTION THU. $$ GMZ082-132130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...E OF 954W E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. W OF 95W VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TUE...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT...BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT LATE. E OF FRONT LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND THU...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS...DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. E OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT S OF 20N 2 TO 3 FT...AND N OF 23N BUILDING 6 TO 8 FT IN NE SWELL. $$ GMZ084-132130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...S OF 27N SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. N OF 25N S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .TUE...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT... BECOMING N TO NE 20 TO 30 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT...BUILDING TO 7 TO 9 FT LATE. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING S TO SW 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND THU...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT THU. SEAS BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT. S OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE THU. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT IN NE SWELL THU. $$ GMZ086-132130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST SUN DEC 13 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MON...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS N PORTION. VSBY BELOW 5 SM IN AREAS OF FOG NE AND E PORTIONS TONIGHT. .MON NIGHT AND TUE...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT... BECOMING S TO SW 15 TO 20 KT TUE AFTERNOON THEN BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT NW OF FRONT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT NW OF FRONT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT NW OF FRONT LATE. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND THU...N OF FRONT NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT IN NE SWELL THU. ISOLATED SHOWERS ENTIRE AREA. $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING/AGUIRRE