000 FZNT24 KNHC 090854 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 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. GMZ089-091530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A PAIR COLD FRONTS WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATER THIS MORNING AND MERGE OVER THE NW GULF. THE MERGED FRONT WILL RACE EAST AND REACH A POSITION FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO SOUTH OF TAMPICO MEXICO NEAR 20N96W TAMPICO BY TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE WESTERN GULF THU BUT CONTINUE SE INTO S FLORIDA BY LATE THU. THE FRONT WILL LIFT N OVER THE WESTERN GULF FRI INTO SAT AS LOW PRES DEVELOPS ALONG THE TEXAS COAST AND MOVES NE OF THE GULF BY LATE SAT. A WEAKER COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE GULF AND EXTENDS FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO SOUTH TEXAS BY LATE SUN. $$ GMZ080-091530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING N TO NE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. .FRI AND SAT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT SAT EXCEPT W OF FRONT SHIFTING TO N TO NE 15 KT SAT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-091530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT N WINDS INCREASING 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. ELSEWHERE S TO SW WINDS 15 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N OF 22N. .THU AND THU NIGHT...N OF FRONT NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. ELSEWHERE VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND SAT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING 3 TO 4 FT SAT. .SUN...N OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF FRONT SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-091530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 2009 .TODAY...N OF 26N SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. S OF FRONT SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND SAT...N OF 26N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S TO SW 15 KT SAT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT IN E SWELL...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT LATE FRI AND SAT. S OF 26N E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE TO S LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SUN...N OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF FRONT SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ086-091530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST WED DEC 09 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 27N SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT THEN SHIFTING TO NW 15 TO 20 KT N OF FRONT LATE TODAY. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 27N NEAR FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF FRONT VARIABLE E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG AND S OF FRONT. .FRI AND SAT...N OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...SHIFTING TO SW AND DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT SAT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 28N. .SUN...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF FRONT SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN