000 FZNT24 KNHC 110830 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 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. GMZ089-111530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE NE GULF SW TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE WILL WEAKEN TODAY. SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW IN THE NW GULF WILL INCREASE AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WHICH WILL PUSH SE OFF TEXAS THIS EVENING REACHING FROM SE LOUISIANA TO NEAR THE TEXAS MEXICO BORDER TONIGHT THEN FROM NEAR APALACHEE BAY FLORIDA TO 21N97W SUN MORNING...MOVING SE OF THE GULF SUN NIGHT. STRONG N WINDS WILL ARRIVE BEHIND THE FRONT DIMINISHING LATE SUN NIGHT AND MON AS HIGH PRES BUILDS IN FROM THE N. RIDGING RETURNS OVER THE CENTRAL GULF TUE AND WED. $$ GMZ080-111530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 7 TO 11 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 10 FT SUN NIGHT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .TUE AND WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT LATE TUE AND WED. $$ GMZ082-111530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING EXCEPT N TO NE NEAR YUCATAN COAST... THEN BECOMING NW TO N 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT IN N SWELL. E OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT SE TO S 15 TO 20 KT W OF 94W...AND EXCEPT N TO NE NEAR YUCATAN COAST DURING THE EVENING. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT EXCEPT 2 TO 4 FT NEAR YUCATAN COAST. $$ GMZ084-111530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING AND INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN BECOMING NW TO N 25 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT AHEAD OF FRONT...THEN BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT BECOMING W TO NW 10 TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS N OF 25N. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 15 FT IN NW SWELL SUN NIGHT. SE OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 10 FT LATE. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .WED...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE TO S 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT LATE. $$ GMZ086-111530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST SAT DEC 11 2010 .TODAY...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING VARIABLE IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .TONIGHT...N OF 25N SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT AHEAD OF FRONT. S OF 25N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 25N LATE. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS N OF 25N. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT BUILDING TO 10 TO 15 FT IN NW SWELL SUN NIGHT. SE OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...NW WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH HIGHER GUSTS EARLY BECOMING N 20 KT LATE. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 11 FT LATE. .TUE...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .WED...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT E TO SE 10 KT N OF 26N. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 3 FT LATE. $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY