000 FZNT24 KNHC 222130 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 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. GMZ089-230330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 .SYNOPSIS...COLD FRONT FROM 24N82W TO 23N94W TO 19N96W. E PORTION OF FRONT WILL DISSIPATE AS IT MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE CARIBBEAN OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. STRONG HIGH PRES BEHIND FRONT N OF THE AREA WILL SHIFT TO E OF THE U.S. E COAST TUE NIGHT AND WED. TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER WESTERN GULF TUE AND MERGE WITH WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING INTO TX/LA BY WED. THIS COLD FRONT WILL GRAZE NW AND N CENTRAL WATERS WED/THU AND THEN MOVE N OF AREA. A THIRD COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO NW WATERS SAT. $$ GMZ080-230330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 .TONIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS. .WED THROUGH THU...S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT TO 25 KT WITHIN 45 NM OF COAST WED MORNING. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 5 FT THU. SCATTERED SHOWERS N PART. .FRI...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE TO S 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 7 TO 9 FT W OF 93W LATE. .SAT...NW OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS ALONG THE FRONT. $$ GMZ082-230330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 ...GALE WARNING FROM 20N TO 24N W OF 95W... .TONIGHT...W OF FRONT S OF 24N W OF 95W N WINDS 30 TO 40 KT BECOMING W TO NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT AFTER SUNSET. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. N OF FRONT E OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT. S OF FRONT N OF 20N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF 20N E OF 95W NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE W OF 95W N WINDS 25 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT IN N SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...N OF 21N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. S OF 21N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT TUE NIGHT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .THU AND FRI...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 25 KT N OF 22N W OF 95W LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SAT...NW OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT BY SAT EVENING. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG THE FRONT. $$ GMZ084-230330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. S OF FRONT NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS S OF 26N. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT WED NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N PART WED NIGHT. .THU AND FRI...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .SAT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ086-230330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST MON DEC 22 2008 .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. S OF FRONT NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS S OF 25N. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT IN E SWELL S OF 25N AND 4 TO 6 FT N OF 25N. .WED AND WED NIGHT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT IN E SWELL. .THU AND FRI...N OF 25N SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .SAT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ FORECASTER SCHAUER CLARK