000 FZNT24 KNHC 182017 OFFNT4 FZNT24 KNHC 180231 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 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. GMZ089-190330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF REACH GALE FORCE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT THAT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE TODAY. NORTHERLY FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT REACHES GALE FORCE OVER THE FAR WESTERN GULF TONIGHT. THE FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS GULF WATERS...EXTENDING FROM THE WRN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE MIDDAY WED...AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO YUCATAN BY MIDDAY THU. WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE THU AS HIGH PRES BUILDS N OF THE AREA THROUGH SAT. A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES INTO NORTHERN GULF WATERS SUN. $$ GMZ080-190330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ...GALE WARNING... .TONIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO 15 FT. W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT LATE...AND TO 35 KT S OF 27N. SEAS 10 TO 13 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 9 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT W OF 93W AND 6 TO 9 FT E OF 93W. .THU AND THU NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N AND 5 TO 7 FT IN E SWELL S OF 27N. .FRI THROUGH SUN...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-190330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ...GALE WARNING W OF 95W... .TONIGHT...W OF 95W SE TO S WINDS TO 35 KT SHIFT NW BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 14 FT. E OF 95W SE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT SHIFT NW BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 11 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG 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 LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS EARLY. .THU AND THU NIGHT...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 THROUGH SUN...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT FRI. $$ GMZ084-190330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ...GALE WARNING N OF 27N W OF 89W... .TONIGHT...N OF 27N W OF 89W SE TO S WINDS 30 TO 35 KT BECOMING W TO NW 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 KT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS. .WED AND WED NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT BY WED NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. W OF FRONT NW WINDS 25 TO 20 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. .THU...NE WINDS DIMINISHING 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .FRI...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...N TO NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN...N OF 28N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 28N NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-190330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 PM CDT TUE MAR 18 2008 .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 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 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING 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 SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN...N OF 28N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 28N NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN