000 FZNT24 KNHC 172041 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 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. GMZ089-180330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 .SYNOPSIS...SE WINDS INCREASE TO GALE FORCE TONIGHT OVER THE WESTERN GULF...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST TUE NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WED MORNING...AND FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA TO YUCATAN THU MORNING. STRONG NLY FLOW FOLLOWS THE FRONT...BUT SHIFTS EAST AND DIMINISHES THROUGH FRI AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA. $$ GMZ080-180330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 ...GALE WARNING... .TONIGHT AND TUE..SE TO S WINDS 30 TO 35 KT BECOMING N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT W OF FRONT BY LATE TUE. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT BUILDING TO 11 TO 17 FT TUE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS LATE TUE. .TUE NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 11 TO 15 FT. W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 13 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT BECOMING N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 9 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT W OF 93W AND 6 TO 9 FT E OF 93W. .THU...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N AND 5 TO 7 FT IN E SWELL S OF 27N. .FRI AND SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-180330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 ...GALE WARNING... .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT N OF 22N AND 7 TO 10 FT S OF 22N. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...W OF 93W SE TO S WINDS 25 TO 35 KT SHIFTING NW BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS 9 TO 14 FT. E OF 93W SE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NW BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...S OF 22N N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT WED NIGHT. N OF 22N NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT WED NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS EARLY. .THU...N TO NE WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. .FRI AND SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT FRI. $$ GMZ084-180330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED N OF 27N W OF 89W TUE NIGHT... .TONIGHT AND TUE...SE TO S WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT BUILDING TO 9 TO 14 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS TUE. .TUE NIGHT...N OF 27N W OF 89W SE TO S WINDS 30 TO 35 KT BECOMING W TO NW 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 KT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS. .WED AND WED NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT BY WED NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. W OF FRONT NW WINDS 25 TO 20 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. .THU...NE WINDS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .FRI...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...N TO NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-180330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 PM CDT MON MAR 17 2008 .TONIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT S OF 25N TUE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT TUE. .WED...S TO SW WINDS DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT N OF 25N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 25N. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 26N. .WED NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NW 15 OT 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT. .THU...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI AND SAT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN