000 FZNT24 KNHC 230305 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 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. GMZ089-230930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 .SYNOPSIS...A 1025 MB HIGH PRES AREA OVER S GEORGIA WILL SHIFT E INTO THE ATLC OVERNIGHT. EXPECT FRESH TO STRONG S WINDS ACROSS THE GULF THROUGH WED AS LOW PRES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS MOVES INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NW GULF WED NIGHT...FOLLOWED BY STRONG NW FLOW. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO THE NE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY FRI MORNING...AND CLEARING THE SE GULF THROUGH SAT. MODERATE TO FRESH NE TO E WINDS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE GULF SUN AS HIGH PRES BUILDS TO THE NORTH. $$ GMZ080-230930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 .TONIGHT...W OF 94W S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT LATE. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS BUILDING 4 TO 7 FT. .WED THROUGH THU...S WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...SHIFTING SW JUST AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT WED NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU NIGHT...NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING 5 TO 8 FT. .FRI...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING 5 TO 7 FT. .SAT AND SUN...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ082-230930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 .TONIGHT...W OF 94W S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT LATE. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT EXCEPT TO 10 FT W OF 95W. .THU AND THU NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EARLY DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT AND SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. W OF FRONT N TO NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT. .FRI THROUGH SUN...W OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 95W NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ084-230930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 .TONIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .WED THROUGH THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT JUST AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN SHIFTING TO NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT THU NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT NEAR FRONT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND SAT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .SUN...N OF 27N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ086-230930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009 .TONIGHT...N OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT OR LESS BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT...EXCEPT TO 7 FT IN STRAITS OF FLORIDA. .WED THROUGH 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 OF 25N. .THU NIGHT AND 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. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .SAT AND SUN...N OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN/AL