000 FZNT24 KNHC 310231 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 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. GMZ089-310930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 2009 .SYNOPSIS...COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM CENTRAL LOUISIANA COAST TO 21N97W. A REINFORCING SHOT OF COLD AIR PUSHES THE FRONT THROUGH THE NW GULF THROUGH THU. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO THE SW GULF OF MEXICO BY EARLY FRI...THEN MOVE SE OF AREA BY LATE FRI. STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT FRI...THEN WEAKENS SAT THROUGH SUN...WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHING OFF THE TEXAS COAST BY LATE SUN NIGHT INTO MON. $$ GMZ080-310930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 2009 .TONIGHT...W OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .THU AND THU NIGHT...E OF FRONT SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. W OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT BECOMING N 20 TO 25 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT W OF FRONT. ISOLATED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. .SAT THROUGH MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE SUN NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT LATE SUN NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ082-310930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 2009 .TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT LATE TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING N 20 TO 30 KT W OF FRONT THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT W OF FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT. .SAT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE OVER NW WATERS SAT NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN NE SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT SAT NIGHT. .SUN...E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .MON...N OF 22N W OF 95W N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. ELSEWHERE N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ084-310930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 2009 .TONIGHT...N OF 28N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING S TO SW LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 28N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...NW OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT LATE THU NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT LATE. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING S TO SW JUST AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .SAT THROUGH MON...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT SUN. $$ GMZ086-310930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST WED DEC 30 2009 .TONIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE TO S TONIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT EXCEPT TO 5 FT IN THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA. .THU AND THU NIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING W TO NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT LATE THU NIGHT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING S TO SW THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .SAT THROUGH MON...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT SUN. $$ FORECASTER CHRISTENSEN/DGS