000 FZNT24 KNHC 181534 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 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. GMZ089-182130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 2010 .SYNOPSIS...COLD FRONT FROM FLORIDA BIG BEND TO 1011 MB LOW PRES NEAR 27N87W THEN FRONT CONTINUING SW TO 24N95W TO 20N96.5W. FRONT WILL MOVE TO POSITION FROM NEAR TAMPA BAY AREA TO W BAY OF CAMPECHE THIS EVENING THEN SE OF THE BASIN SUN MORNING. HIGH PRES WILL SLIDE SE INTO THE NE GULF MON ALLOWING FOR SOUTHERLY FLOW TO SET UP OVER THE WESTERN PORTION. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST LATE...AND REACH THE EASTERN GULF WED. $$ GMZ080-182130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT EXCEPT TO 7 FT SW PORTIONS. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. PATCHY DENSE FOG BEHIND FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT SUN NIGHT SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT LATE. AREAS OF FOG WITH VISIBILITIES LESS THAN 5 NM N OF 27N THIS MORNING. .MON...W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. E OF 94W SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. .TUE...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N TO NE 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT...EXCEPT 2 TO 3 FT BEHIND FRONT LATE. $$ GMZ082-182130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...NW OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT TONIGHT. SEAS BUILDING 6 TO 9 FT IN N SWELL. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT THIS EVENING. SEAS 3 FT OR LESS. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO SE LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN NE SWELL...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT LATE. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT NE NEAR YUCATAN COAST DURING THE EVENING. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...EXCEPT FAR NW PORTION 3 TO 4 FT FAR NW PORTION EARLY. .WED...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ084-182130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON..SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 15 KT BECOMING W TO NW LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .TONIGHT NIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 KT...SHIFTING TO NW TO N SAT NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. SE OF FRONT W WINDS 10 KT...SHIFTING TO NW BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .MON...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE TO S N OF 25N LATE. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT LATE. .TUE...N OF 25N SW TO W WINDS 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW TO N 20 KT LATE BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 4 TO 5 FT LATE. S OF 25N VARIABLE MAINLY NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .WED...N OF 25N NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N 15 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N N TO NE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT. $$ GMZ086-182130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST SAT DEC 18 2010 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10TO 15 KT EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT SE PORTIONS. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT IN SE SWELL. NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N WINDS 15 KT...BECOMING NE SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN NW SWELL. .MON...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT OR LESS N OF 27N BY EVENING. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT LATE. .TUE...N OF 26N SW TO W WINDS 5 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. S OF 26N VARIABLE MAINLY NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING N TO NE 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .WED...N OF 27N W TO NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 27N N WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING