000 FZNT24 KNHC 250831 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 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. GMZ089-251530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT FROM NEAR 30N85W TO 24N88W TO 18N94W WILL MOVE TO THE E TODAY...WITH MODERATE TO STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO THE YUCATAN CHANNEL BY THIS EVENING WITH HIGH PRES BUILDING IN BEHIND IT ACROSS THE GULF. A WEAK AREA OF LOW PRES AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL DEVELOP OFF THE TEXAS COAST ON SAT...PUSHING ACROSS THE GULF THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE LOW WILL REACH TO NEAR 28N91W WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM IT TO 21N97W BY SUN MORNING...THEN TO NEAR 28N85W TO 21N96W BY SUN NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL MOVE E OF THE GULF ON MON AS HIGH PRES OVER TEXAS BUILDS IN ACROSS THE GULF. A TROUGH OF LOW PRES WILL DEVELOP ALONG 96W ON MON WHERE IT WILL LINGER THROUGH TUE. $$ GMZ080-251530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009 .TODAY...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT SUBSIDING TO 8 TO 10 FT LATE. .TONIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT NIGHT AND SUN...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 7 TO 9 FT SUN. SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 8 FT LATE. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ082-251530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT E OF 93W AND SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT W OF 93W TONIGHT. SEAS 9 TO 12 FT N OF 20N SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT TONIGHT...AND SEAS 5 TO 8 FT S OF 20N SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT TONIGHT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 FT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 4 FT SAT NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING N TO NE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT LATE. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...S OF 22N W OF 95W NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. N OF 22N NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. ELSEWHERE NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE...N OF 21N E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. S OF 21N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN NE SWELL. $$ GMZ084-251530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT THIS EVENING...THEN BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT N OF 25N SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 9 FT LATE...AND SEAS 7 TO 10 FT S OF 25N. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT IN NE SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT SAT NIGHT. .SUN...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING N TO NE LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ086-251530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST FRI DEC 25 2009 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NW TO N THIS AFTERNOON...THEN DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE TO E LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 4 FT LATE. .SUN...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .MON AND TUE...NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT MON NIGHT AND TUE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT MON NIGHT AND TUE. $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY