000 FZNT24 KNHC 262128 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 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. GMZ089-262130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .SYNOPSIS...S TO SE RETURN FLOW INTENSIFIES OVERNIGHT TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE NW GULF. COLD FRONT FORECAST TO ENTER NW GULF EARLY SUN FOLLOWED BY STRONG WINDS. FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEW ORLEANS TO 25N96W TO 22N98W SUN MORNING...FROM APALACHICOLA BAY TO 26N90W TO 25N95W TO 19N95W MON MORNING...AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FRONT OVER THE GULF DISSIPATED BY TUE...WITH HIGH PRES MOVING N OF AREA BEHIND THE FRONT. ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO N WATERS ON WED. $$ GMZ080-262130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT AND SAT...W OF 93W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT WITHIN 90 NM OF COLD FRONT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. E OF 93W SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT SUN AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SUN AND DIMINISHING TO 10 KT OR LESS SUN NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .MON...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SE OF FRONT S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. $$ GMZ082-262130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT...N OF 21N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT N OF 23N W OF 96W TONIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 21N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N OF 23N W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT W OF 96W NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .MON...N OF FRONT W OF 95W N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SE OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-262130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT SAT AND SAT NIGHT. .SUN THROUGH MON...SE OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS MON. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT MON. NW OF FRONT N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS...EXCEPT BECOMING S TO SW N OF 27N LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ086-262130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT...N OF 26N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 26N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...SE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 10 KT N OF 27N LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...N OF FRONT N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .TUE AND WED...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ FORECASTER SCHAUER CLARK