000 FZNT24 KNHC 090903 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO GMZ089-091530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 .SYNOPSIS...WEAK RIDGE OVER THE AREA WILL WEAKEN FURTHER AND MOVE EAST. COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS AND LOUISIANA COAST AROUND NOON TODAY AND MOVE TO 30N85W TO 25N97W TONIGHT AND TO SOUTH FLORIDA TO CENTRAL MEXICAN COAST THURSDAY THEN SOUTHEAST OF THE GULF THURSDAY NIGHT. HIGH PRESSURE BUILD BEHIND THE FRONT AND BE OVER TEXAS THURSDAY NIGHT WITH A RIDGE BUILDING ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST THROUGH SATURDAY. BY SUNDAY THE HIGH WILL BE CENTERED OVER FLORIDA. $$ GMZ080-091530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 .TODAY...NW OF FRONT WIND N TO NE 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT WIND S TO SW 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT WIND N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. SE OF FRONT WIND N TO NE 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...WIND N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. .FRI...WIND NE DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. .SAT...WIND E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SUN...WIND BECOMING SE TO S 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ082-091530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 .TODAY...WIND E TO SE 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT WIND NE 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT WIND NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .THU...NW OF FRONT WIND N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. SE OF FRONT WIND NE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU NIGHT AND FRI...WIND NE 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NE TO E 15 TO 20 KT ENTIRE AREA LATE FRI. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 8 FT LATE FRI. .SAT...WIND BECOMING E TO SE 15 KT. SEAS BUILDING 4 TO 6 FT. .SUN...N OF 23N W OF 93W WIND SE TO S 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. ELSEWHERE WIND E TO SE 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ084-091530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 .TODAY...N OF 25N WIND S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N WIND E TO SE 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT WIND N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF FRONT N OF 25N WIND W TO NW 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N WIND N TO NE 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU...N OF FRONT WIND N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. S OF FRONT WIND N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU NIGHT...WIND N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. .FRI...WIND N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT...DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 27N LATE. .SAT AND SUN...WIND NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT LATE SAT AND THROUGH SUN. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT S OF 27N AND 3 TO 4 FT N OF 27N. $$ GMZ086-091530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST WED FEB 09 2005 .TODAY...N OF 26N WIND SE TO S 10 KT...BECOMING S TO SW LATE. SEAS 2 FT. S OF 26N WIND E TO SE 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .TONIGHT...N OF 26N WIND SW 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 26N WIND N TO NE 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS N OF 27N. .THU...N OF FRONT WIND NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. S OF FRONT WIND NW TO N 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU NIGHT...WIND NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. .FRI...WIND N 20 TO 25 KT EARLY...DECREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 27N LATE. .SAT...WIND NE 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE TO E 10 KT N OF 27N LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT S OF 26N...AND 2 TO 4 FT N OF 26N. .SUN...N OF 27N WIND SE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N WIND E TO SE 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ THE TROPICAL ANALYSIS AND FORECAST BRANCH OF THE TROPICAL PREDICTION CENTER/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS CONSIDERING REDUCING THE NUMBER OF MARINE ZONES FOR THIS PRODUCT. THE COVERAGE AREA WILL NOT BE REDUCED AND THE FORECAST WILL CONTINUE TO BE FOR FIVE DAYS. A SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES AND FOUR POSSIBLE EXAMPLES ARE POSTED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/NEWOFFORMAT.SHTML (USE LOWERCASE). THE EVALUATION PERIOD WILL END MARCH 31 2005. DURING THIS EVALUATION PERIOD WE ENCOURAGE YOUR COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS, SPECIFICALLY WHICH OF THE FOUR EXAMPLES YOU SUPPORT. YOU MAY ALSO SUGGEST OTHERS OR NO CHANGE AT ALL. A LINK TO A FEEDBACK FORM IS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB SITE GIVEN ABOVE. YOUR FEEDBACK WILL HELP US TO DETERMINE PRODUCT QUALITY...IF MODIFICATIONS ARE NEEDED...AND WHETHER THE PROPOSED CHANGES WILL BE ADOPTED. FORECASTER LL