000 FZNT24 KNHC 151517 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 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. GMZ089-152130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IS INCREASING OVER THE NW GULF AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER N FLORIDA. FRESH TO STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL SPREAD OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF TONIGHT AS THE HIGH PRES SHIFTS E AND LOW PRES DIGS INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN GULF FRI...REACHING FROM NEAR TAMPA FLORIDA TO NEAR VERACRUZ MEXICO BY SAT MORNING...AND SW OF THE AREA ON SUN. $$ GMZ080-152130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT W OF 94W...AND 4 TO 7 FT E OF 94W BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT TONIGHT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT THU NIGHT. .FRI AND SAT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT THEN BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. $$ GMZ082-152130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT TONIGHT. .THU THROUGH FRI...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT FRI...THEN BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT FRI...THEN BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...W OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT. E OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...W OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 95W N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 5 FT LATE. $$ GMZ084-152130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 25N W OF 87W LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT N OF 25N AND 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N. .TONIGHT THROUGH THU NIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .FRI...S TO SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING NE TO E 10 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. $$ GMZ086-152130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT N OF 26N AND 3 TO 5 FT IN NW SWELL S OF 26N. .TONIGHT...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .FRI...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN NW SWELL. $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY/CHRISTENSEN