000 FZNT24 KNHC 232058 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 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. GMZ089-240330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009 .SYNOPSIS...FRESH TO STRONG S WINDS ARE BLOWING ACROSS THE WESTERN GULF AS LOW PRES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS MOVES INTO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NW GULF LATE TONIGHT INTO THU MORNING...FOLLOWED BY STRONG NW FLOW. THE FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM MOBILE BAY TO THE SW GULF OF MEXICO BY THU EVENING...THEN WILL MOVE SE AND EXTEND FROM SW FLORIDA TO THE NE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY FRI EVENING... 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. A TROUGH OR LOW PRES MAY DEVELOP ACROSS THE SW GULF SUN. $$ GMZ080-240330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...SHIFTING SW JUST AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE TONIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 11 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING 3 TO 5 FT FRI NIGHT. .SAT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT S OF 27N AND 2 TO 4 FT N OF 27N. .SUN...S OF 27N NE WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. N OF 27N NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ082-240330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT EXCEPT TO 10 FT W OF 95W. .THU AND THU NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS BUILDING 6 TO 9 FT. 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. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT LATE. .SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 23N LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SUN...N OF 23N NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF 23N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ084-240330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009 .TONIGHT THROUGH THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT JUST AHEAD OF FRONT THU...THEN SHIFTING TO NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT THU NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT NEAR FRONT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI THROUGH SAT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT SAT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT N OF 26N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 24N. .MON...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT N OF 26N AND 5 TO 7 FT S OF 26N. $$ GMZ086-240330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST WED DEC 23 2009 .TONIGHT AND THU...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING 4 TO 7 FT NEAR FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS N OF 25N. .THU NIGHT THROUGH FRI NIGHT...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT BECOMING 3 TO 5 FT BEHIND THE FRONT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING NW TO N BEHIND THE FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SAT...N OF FRONT N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 25 KT NEAR FRONT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. S OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SUN...N OF 26N NW TO N WINDS 1O TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 26N N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT N OF 25N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 25N. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN