000 FZNT24 KNHC 160316 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM 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. GMZ089-160930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .SYNOPSIS...FRESH TO STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER THE NW GULF WILL SPREAD OVER THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL GULF TONIGHT AS HIGH PRES OVER FLORIDA SHIFTS E...AND LOW PRES DIGS INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH BY LATE THU AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT PUSHING INTO THE NORTHERN GULF EARLY FRI. LOW PRES WILL FORM ALONG THE FRONT LATE FRI OVER THE NE GULF...THEN SHIFT NE. THE FRONT WILL MOVE SE AND EXTEND FROM THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA TO NEAR VERACRUZ MEXICO BY SAT MORNING...AND SE OF THE AREA ON SUN. HIGH PRES WILL SLIDE SE INTO THE FAR NE GULF BY LATE MON. ALLOWING FOR RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW TO SET UP OVER THE WESTERN PORTION. $$ GMZ080-160930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TONIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT W OF 94W...AND 5 TO 8 FT E OF 94W. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT ...AND TO 10 TO 15 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT THU NIGHT. .FRI THROUGH SAT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT...THEN BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE SAT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .MON...W OF 94W S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-160930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT N OF 22N AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 22N. .THU THROUGH FRI NIGHT...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...AND 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 9 FT. E OF FRONT W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 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. .MON...N OF 22N W OF 94W S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-160930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .TONIGHT...N OF 27N W OF 87W S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. N OF 27N E OF 87W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT... INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 27N W OF 87W SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 27N E OF 87W E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU NIGHT AND FRI...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT... DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT FRI. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. .FRI NIGHT AND SAT...SW TO W 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW AND INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT... BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N OF 26N NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 26N NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT N OF 26N AND 3 TO 5 FT S OF 26N. $$ GMZ086-160930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST WED DEC 15 2010 .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 THROUGH FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 26N. .SAT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 28N LATE. .MON...WINDS BECOMING N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT N OF 26N...AND 4 TO 6 FT S OF 26N. $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE