000 FZNT24 KNHC 270316 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 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. GMZ089-270330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .SYNOPSIS...S TO SE RETURN FLOW INCREASES TONIGHT IN ADVANCE OF COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE NW GULF. COLD FRONT ENTERS NW GULF EARLY SUN FOLLOWED BY STRONG WINDS. FRONT EXTENDS FROM NEW ORLEANS TO 21N97W SUN MORNING AND FROM APALACHICOLA BAY TO 25N95W TO 19N95W MON MORNING...DISSIPATING THEREAFTER. ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE N GULF BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...EXTENDING FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO HOUSTON TEXAS BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. $$ GMZ080-270330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT AND SAT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT UP TO 30 KT W OF 92W SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT SAT. .SAT NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT SUN AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SUN AND DIMINISHING TO 10 KT OR LESS SUN NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .MON...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SE OF FRONT S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. $$ GMZ082-270330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT...N OF 21N SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 21N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 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. $$ GMZ084-270330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2008 .TONIGHT THROUGH SAT NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT SAT AND SAT NIGHT. .SUN THROUGH MON...SE OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS MON. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT MON. NW OF FRONT N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG THE FRONT. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS...EXCEPT BECOMING S TO SW N OF 27N LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ086-270330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 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 COHEN/CHRISTENSEN