000 FZNT24 KNHC 171515 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 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. GMZ089-172130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDS FROM 28N83W TO A 1012 MB LOW PRES AREA NEAR 26N95W TO 18N95W. THE LOW PRES WILL TRACK TO THE NE THROUGH FRI...WITH A TRAILING COLD FRONT SWEEPING THROUGH THE GULF THROUGH FRI NIGHT. EXPECT GALE FORCE WINDS OVER THE WESTERN GULF THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH FRESH TO STRONG WINDS PERSISTING ELSEWHERE THROUGH SAT AS A REINFORCING COLD AIR MOVES INTO THE AREA. WINDS AND SEAS DIMINISH SUN INTO MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF. $$ GMZ080-172130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 2009 ...GALE WARNING FROM 26N TO 28N W OF 92W... .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...FROM 26N TO 28N W OF 92W NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT...DIMINISHING TO 25 TO 30 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT. ELSEWHERE W OF 96W NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. E OF 96W NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SCATTERED TSTMS THROUGH EVENING. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT. .SAT...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-172130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 2009 ...GALE WARNING S OF 22N W OF FRONT... .THIS AFTERNOON...S OF 22N W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT. N OF 22N W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. E OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. WIND AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR NUMEROUS SQUALLS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT THROUGH FRI NIGHT...NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT FRI. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT SUBSIDING 3 TO 5 FT BY FRI NIGHT. .SAT...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ084-172130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON...N OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING 8 TO 12 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR SCATTERED TSTMS. .TONIGHT...N OF 28N NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING S TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF 28N S TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SW TO W 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .FRI...W TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NW 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND COLD FRONT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .FRI NIGHT AND SAT...NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT SAT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN NW SWELL. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .MON...N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN N SWELL S OF 25N AND 2 TO 4 FT N OF 25N. $$ GMZ086-172130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST THU DEC 17 2009 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...N OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE TO S WINDS TONIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING SW TO W 20 TO 30 KT DURING THE AFTERNOON. SEAS BUILDING 6 TO 9 FT. WIND AND SEAS HIGHER NEAR SCATTERED SQUALLS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .MON...N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN