000 FZNT24 KNHC 202125 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 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. GMZ089-210330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 2009 .SYNOPSIS...N WINDS CONTINUE TO DIMINISH ACROSS GULF REGION AS HIGH PRES CENTER SINKS SE INTO NW GULF COAST TONIGHT THEN SHIFTS E ALONG 29-30N THROUGH TUE. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW W INCREASE W OF 90W MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT WITH SE RETURN FLOW INCREASING SPREADING TO E GULF WED AND THU. COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO ENTER NW GULF LATE WED AND REACH FROM W FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO BAY OF CAMPECHE THU NIGHT. $$ GMZ080-210330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 2009 .TONIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT OVERNIGHT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT MON NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 3 TO 5 FT MON NIGHT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...W OF 92W S WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT. E OF 92W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS BUILDING 5 TO 7 FT. .WED...S TO SE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...SHIFTING SW JUST AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING 5 TO 8 FT. .FRI...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING 6 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ082-210330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 2009 .TONIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING 3 TO 5 FT OVERNIGHT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING QUICKLY E TO SE WINDS BY AFTERNOON AND INCREASING TO 20 KT W OF 95W MON NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT EXCEPT BUILDING TO 6 FT W OF 95W LATE. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT EXCEPT TO 10 FT NW PORTIONS. .THU...E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EARLY BECOMING S TO SW 10 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT AND SUBSIDING LATE. W OF FRONT N TO NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT. .FRI...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT NEAR 20 KT N OF FRONTAL REMNANTS. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. $$ GMZ084-210330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 2009 .TONIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT S OF 24N DIMINISHING TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. EXCEPT YUCATAN CHANNEL 6 TO 7 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...N OF 25N NE WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING SE MON NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT 20 KT YUCATAN CHANNEL. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT 6 TO 7 FT YUCATAN CHANNEL. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N AND 2 TO 3 FT N OF 25N. .WED AND THU...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT JUST AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN SHIFTING TO NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT THU. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT NEAR FRONT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ086-210330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST SUN DEC 20 2009 .TONIGHT...N OF 25N N WINDS 15 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING 3 TO 4 FT LATE. S OF 25N N WINDS 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN NW SWELL. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT EXCEPT 2 FT N OF 27N. .MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N AND 2 TO 3 FT N OF 25N. .WED AND THU...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT WED NIGHT AND THU. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING 4 TO 7 FT NEAR FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N PART. .FRI...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT BY EVENING. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING