000 FZNT24 KNHC 060923 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 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. GMZ089-061530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 .SYNOPSIS...STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 29N83W TO 19N96W. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR PUSHES THE FRONT SOUTHWARD OVER THE EASTERN GULF LATER TODAY...REACHING SOUTH FLORIDA TO 24N90W BY SUN MORNING AS IT BECOMES DIFFUSE OVER THE WESTERN GULF. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASES OVER THE WESTERN GULF WATERS BY EARLY MON...SPREADING E ACROSS THE GULF BY TUE AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY LATE TUE. WINDS TO GALE FORCE ARE ANTICIPATED OVER THE WESTERN GULF BEHIND THE FRONT...AS IT REACHES FROM 30N85W TO 18N93W BY LATE WED. $$ GMZ080-061530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF 93W WED... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 27N NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING NE TO E. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING SE TO S. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .MON...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING S TO SW AND INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING 4 TO 7 FT. .TUE...S TO SW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT SHIFTING NW LATE BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. .WED...WINDS 25 TO 35 KT SHIFTING NW BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ082-061530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF 92W WED... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 24N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING E TO SE AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT W OF 95W SUN NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 24N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .MON...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT N OF 22N AND 3 TO 5 FT S OF 22N. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT N OF 21N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 21N. .WED....NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS INCREASING TO 30 TO 40 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SEAS 9 TO 15 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 17 FT. SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT EXCEPT 2 TO 4 FT S OF 20N. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ084-061530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SE OF FRONT SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT WITHIN 60 NM OF FRONT OTHERWISE NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .MON...N OF 26N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT THEN SHIFTING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT W OF FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT BUILDING 8 TO 12 FT W OF FRONT. $$ GMZ086-061530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 06 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT W TO NW 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT THIS EVENING. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SE OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT EARLY SHIFTING NW TO N. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .SUN...N OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. S OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING NE TO E LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .SUN NIGHT AND MON...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING E TO SE MON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TUE AND WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING S TO SW 20 TO 25 KT WED. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN