000 FZNT24 KNHC 181517 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 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. GMZ089-182130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A 1002 MB LOW PRES AREA OFF MOBILE BAY WILL DEEPEN THIS AFTERNOON AS IT TRACKS ENE TO THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE THEN ON TO THE CAROLINA COAST OVERNIGHT. A TRAILING COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM THE LOW PRES TO THE NE YUCATAN PENINSULA WILL SWEEP SE OF THE GULF BY LATE EVENING...FOLLOWED BY STRONG NE FLOW. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR OFF THE TEXAS COAST WILL MAINTAIN FRESH NE WINDS THROUGH SAT ACROSS THE GULF. WINDS AND SEAS WILL SUBSIDE SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE FAR WESTERN GULF TUE AS LOW PRES DEEPENS OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS. $$ GMZ080-182130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...E OF 94W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. W OF 94W N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .TONIGHT...E OF 94W NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT. W OF 94W N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING SE LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. $$ GMZ082-182130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...E OF 94W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. W OF 94W NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .TONIGHT...N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN NW SWELL E OF 94W AND 4 TO 6 FT W OF 94W. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING SE LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. $$ GMZ084-182130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...W TO NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT. .TONIGHT...NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT N OF 27N LATE. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N TO NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT SAT NIGHT. .SUN...N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT 20 KT YUCATAN CHANNEL. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT S OF 27N AND 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N AND 2 TO 4 FT N OF 25N. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-182130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST FRI DEC 18 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING W TO NW BEHIND FRONT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT BUILDING 8 TO 10 FT BEHIND FRONT LATE. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT...NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT LATE. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N AND 2 TO 3 N OF 25N. $$ FORECASTER GR/CHRISTENSEN