000 FZNT24 KNHC 250253 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM 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. GMZ089-250930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .SYNOPSIS...STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM TAMPA BAY TO 28N88W THEN WARM FRONT TO LOW PRES NEAR 27N96W TO MEXICAN COAST NEAR 18N93W. WARM FRONT WILL DRIFT N AND WEAKEN ACROSS E HALF OF BASIN THROUGH EARLY SUN WHILE W PORTION SHIFTS E FROM 29N92W TO 19N96W WHERE IT WILL STALL THROUGH MON MORNING. A REINFORCING SURGE WILL PUSH THE FRONT EASTWARD ON MON EXTENDING FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE MORNING THEN S FLORIDA TO N YUCATAN EARLY WED MORNING AND SE OF GULF LATE WED. EXPECT GALE FORCE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT S OF 25N W OF 95W TONIGHT THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON. $$ GMZ080-250930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TONIGHT...W OF COLD FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. N OF WARM FRONT NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT SHIFTING TO N TO NE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. SE OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN E SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .TUE...NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN IN NW SWELL E OF 94W AND 2 TO 4 FT W OF 94W. .WED AND THU...VARIABLE WINDS LESS THAN 10 KT BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT THU INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT W OF 95W LATE. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. $$ GMZ082-250930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING W OF 95W TONIGHT THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON... .TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT INCREASING 25 TO 35 KT LATE TONIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT BUILDING 8 TO 12 FT LATE TONIGHT. E OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 30 KT BY LATE AFTERNOON. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT. 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 AND MON NIGHT...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...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING E TO SE W OF 95W WED NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU...E TO SE WINDS 1O TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT W OF 95W LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 FT NW PORTIONS LATE. $$ GMZ084-250930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF WARM FRONT E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT SHIFTING TO E TO SE 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG AND N OF WARM FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 25N SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N OF 28N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING W TO NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .TUE...W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .WED...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT N OF 24N WED NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS N OF 25N LATE. .THU...N OF 24N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT SHIFTING SE TO S LATE. SEAS 2 FT OR LESS. S OF 24N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ086-250930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 24 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS NEAR 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING N TO NE SUN NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...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...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT N OF 25N. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS N OF 27N. .THU...N OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS LESS THAN 2 FT. S OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING/COBB