000 FZNT24 KNHC 261516 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 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 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A HIGH PRES RIDGE WILL PERSIST E OF THE AREA INTO SUN. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST FRI EXTENDING FROM NEW ORLEANS TO 19N96W BY LATE FRI NIGHT...REACH FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO BAY OF CAMPECHE SAT...THEN PASS SE OF THE AREA SUN WHILE WEAKENING. HIGH PRES WILL MOVE OVER THE WATERS SUN...THEN PASS E OF THE AREA MON. A WEAKER COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE TEXAS COAST MON INCREASING THE S FLOW OVER THE W GULF. $$ GMZ080-262130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST W. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT FRI...EXCEPT W OF FRONT BECOMING NW 25 TO 30 KT AND GUSTY. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT...EXCEPT W OF FRONT BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 BECOMING N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT W OF 94W DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT...THEN SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. .SUN...WINDS DIMINISHING TO VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS...EXCEPT W OF 93W BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 6 FT. .MON...S WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ082-262130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED W OF FRONT FRI NIGHT AND SAT... .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT N OF 23N W OF 94W 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...EXCEPT S OF 21N 3 TO 6 FT. .FRI...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...EXCEPT S OF 21N 3 TO 6 FT. .FRI NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT W OF FRONT SHIFTING TO N 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT...EXCEPT W OF FRONT 7 TO 10 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...E OF FRONT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. W OF FRONT...N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT W OF 94W TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT...EXCEPT ALONG FRONT 10 TO 13 FT. .SUN AND MON...N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE 15 TO 20 KT SUN. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 6 FT SUN. $$ GMZ084-262130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT S OF 26N E OF 86W 25 TO 30 KT THIS AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST NEAR 26N. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS DEVELOPING FAR NW FRI NIGHT. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...EXCEPT W OF FRONT SHIFTING TO NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT...HIGHEST NW. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT WITH W TO NW SWELL. .MON...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 5 FT IN MIXED NW AND S SWELL...HIGHEST S. $$ GMZ086-262130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 1030 AM CDT THU MAR 26 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT S OF 27N W OF 84W 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...EXCEPT E OF 83W 3 TO 6 FT. .TONIGHT THROUGH FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT TONIGHT...EXCEPT S OF 25N BECOMING E TO SE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT TONIGHT...EXCEPT S OF 25N TO 2 TO 4 FT. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT N OF 25N 20 TO 25 KT...AND W OF FRONT SHIFTING TO NW LATE. SEAS 2 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT N OF 25N 5 TO 8 FT. .SUN...W OF FRONT...NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT...SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER KELLS/SCHAUER-CLARK