000 FZNT24 KNHC 240855 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 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. GMZ089-241530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .SYNOPSIS...STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 25N93W TO 19N95W. THE FRONT WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE WEEKEND. A REINFORCING SURGE WILL PUSH THE FRONT EASTWARD ON MON EXTENDING FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO NW YUCATAN LATE MON AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO NE YUCATAN LATE TUE. EXPECT GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT S OF 25N W OF 95W TONIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT. $$ GMZ080-241530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. E OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...W OF FRONT NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN E SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .TUE...NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN IN NW SWELL E OF 94W AND 2 TO 4 FT W OF 94W. .WED...WINDS BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-241530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING W OF 95W TONIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT INCREASING 25 TO 35 KT LATE TONIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT BUILDING 8 TO 11 FT LATE SAT NIGHT. E OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT IN NW SWELL. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN MERGING NW AND NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. E OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN PRIMARILY NW SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .TUE... N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN NW SWELL. .WED...WINDS BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ084-241530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 25N SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING W TO NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .TUE...W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .WED...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN E SWELL. $$ GMZ086-241530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 26N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N NE TO E WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT N OF 26N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 26N. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING W TO NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER DGS