000 FZNT24 KNHC 150830 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 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. GMZ089-151530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .SYNOPSIS...RIDGING ALONG 26N WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY THROUGH THU NIGHT WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW INCREASING AND EXPANDING FROM THE W GULF TO THE CENTRAL GULF. A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN GULF FRI REACHING FROM SE LOUISIANA TO THE SW GULF FRI NIGHT THEN FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE W YUCATAN PENINSULA SAT AND E OF THE AREA BY EARLY SUN. HIGH PRES BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT BY LATE SUN. $$ GMZ080-151530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT W OF 94W...AND 4 TO 7 FT E OF 94W BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT TONIGHT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT THU NIGHT. .FRI AND SAT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT THEN BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. $$ GMZ082-151530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT TONIGHT. .THU THROUGH FRI...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT FRI...THEN BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT FRI...THEN BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...W OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT. E OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...W OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 95W N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 5 FT LATE. $$ GMZ084-151530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TODAY...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 25N W OF 87W LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT N OF 25N AND 3 TO 5 FT S OF 25N. .TONIGHT THROUGH FRI...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT LATE FRI. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NW PORTION LATE FRI. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING NE TO E 10 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN NW SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. $$ GMZ086-151530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TODAY...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT N OF 26N AND 3 TO 5 FT IN NW SWELL S OF 26N. .TONIGHT...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SE LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .FRI...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN NW SWELL. $$ FORECASTER LEWITSKY