000 FZNT24 KNHC 200851 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 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. GMZ089-201530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 .SYNOPSIS...A HIGH PRES RIDGE EXTENDS EAST TO WEST ALONG 26N TO 27N TODAY. A COLD FRONT MOVES OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY SUN MORNING TO 28N83W TO 24N98W BY SUN EVENING. WINDS TO GALE FORCE ARE EXPECTED OVER THE NE GULF SUN AFTERNOON/EVENING BEHIND THE FRONT. LOW PRES 25N97W 1018 MB DEVELOPS MON EVENING AS THE FRONT DIPS SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE NORTHERN YUCATAN. THIS LOW WILL LIFT NORTHWARD TUE OUT OF THE GULF...BRINING DOMINANT SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW ON TUE AND WED...BUT WEAK COLD FRONT PUSHING OFF TX COAST LATE TUE ALLOWS FOR NE WINDS IN THE FAR NW GULF LATE. $$ GMZ080-201530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED SUN AFTERNOON AND NIGHT... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...OCCASIONALLY TO 20 KT W OF 96W. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT TO 6 FT W OF 96W LATE. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF FRONT NE WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS BUILDING 9 TO 11 FT. S OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT LATE MON AND SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT MON NIGHT. SEAS 9 TO 14 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. .WED...S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT OR LESS AND BECOMING NE WITHIN 90 NM OF FRONT. SEAS 7 TO 8 FT. $$ GMZ082-201530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 23N W OF 95W S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...S OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 KT OR LESS...SHIFTING TO E TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. N OF THE FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT N OF FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .MON...N OF 22N W OF 96W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 7 TO 9 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING E TO SE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT. S OF FRONT NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE...N OF 22N SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. S OF 22N SE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .WED...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ084-201530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING SE TO S LESS THAN 10 KT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SW SAT NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 25N SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...SHIFTING TO N 25 TO 30 KT NW OF FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT N OF FRONT. S OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON...NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N LATE AND NE TO E 20 TO 25 KT S OF 27N LATE. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. .TUE...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 8 TO 10 FT LATE. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ086-201530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 20 2008 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 26N SW WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING SW SAT NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N E WINDS 10 KT BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS SAT NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 25N SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING TO N 25 TO 30 KT N OF FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...BUILDING 6 TO 8 FT N OF FRONT. S OF 25N SE WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING NE 10 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .MON...N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .TUE...N OF 26N E WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO SE 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 26N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .WED...N OF 26N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 8 FT. $$ FORECASTER SCHAUER CLARK