000 FZNT24 KNHC 180301 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 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. GMZ089-180930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 .SYNOPSIS...A COLD FRONT EXTENDS FROM NE FLORIDA SW TO 28N90W TO 26N95W THEN BECOMES STATIONARY TO TAMPICO MEXICO. THE COLD FRONT WILL WEAKEN AS IT REACHES THE FAR SE GULF ON SUN...WHILE THE STATIONARY PORTION WILL LAG BEHIND OVER THE WESTERN GULF. STRONG HIGH PRES WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA BEHIND THE FRONT THROUGH SUN THEN SHIFT EASTWARD TO THE EASTERN GULF SUN NIGHT THROUGH TUE AND WEAKEN. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TO SET UP OVER THE WESTERN PORTION SUN AND SPREAD E ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF BY LATE MON. A SECOND COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY TUE...THEN STALL FROM THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT AND THU AND MOVE BACK LATE THU. $$ GMZ080-180930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 .TONIGHT...NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING E TO SE LATE THEN INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT SUN NIGHT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT W OF 95W. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT W OF 95W. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .TUE...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .WED...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU...S OF 27N E OF 95W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ082-180930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 .TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT S OF 21N. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT NW TO N WINDS W OF 95W. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL. .SUN NIGHT...N OF 21N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 21N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT N OF 21N W OF 95W. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT N OF 21N AND 2 TO 4 FT S OF 21N. .WED...W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN E SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT W OF FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ084-180930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. S OF FRONT NE WINDS 15 KT...EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT NEAR YUCATAN CHANNEL. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING NE TO E SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT S OF 24N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT MON NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .TUE...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING NW BEHIND FRONT TUE NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .WED...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SE OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN SE SWELL EXCEPT TO 7 FT IN YUCATAN CHANNEL. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .THU...N OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. $$ GMZ086-180930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST SAT DEC 17 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF FRONT NE WINDS 15 KT EXCEPT 15 TO 20 KT S OF 24N. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT 20 TO 25 KT S OF 25N. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .TUE...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .THU...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT EXCEPT N TO NE 10 KT N OF 28N. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT S OF 28N...AND 1 TO 3 FT N OF 28N. $$ FORECASTER GR