000 FZNT24 KNHC 192104 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 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. GMZ089-200330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 2011 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRES CENTERED OFF THE U.S. SE COAST WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE EASTWARD THROUGH TONIGHT KEEPING SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW PREVAIL ACROSS GULF AS LOW PRES EXPANDS NE OVER W TEXAS AND THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OFF THE TEXAS COAST EARLY TUE. THE FRONT WILL REACH A POSITION FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA TO THE WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE TUE NIGHT...AND BECOME QUASI-STATIONARY FROM THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE WED. THE FRONT WILL THEN RETREAT NW TOWARDS THE NE MEXICO AND THE TEXAS COAST WED AND WED NIGHT AS WEAK LOW PRES FORMS ALONG IT NEAR SOUTHERN TEXAS. THE LOW WILL MOVE NE TOWARDS S CENTRAL LOUISIANA IN THU PUSHING THE FRONT EASTWARD AS A COLD FRONT TO A POSITION FROM THE WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE ON FRI...THEN WEAKEN FROM N CENTRAL FLORIDA TO EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE SAT. COLD HIGH PRES WILL USHER IN NORTHERLY FLOW INTO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. $$ GMZ080-200330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 2011 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT W OF 94W 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT S OF 27N W OF 95W 6 TO 8 FT. WINDS AND SEAS MAY BE HIGHER NEAR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS W OF 94W. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT...AND SHIFTING TO NE TO E WED NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN E SWELL...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .THU...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT....EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING TO N TO NE LATE. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...S TO SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT N TO NE 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN SE SWELL...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. AREAS OF RAIN NEAR FRONT .SAT...N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT N OF 27N BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT S OF 27N...AND 3 TO 5 FT N OF 27N. $$ GMZ082-200330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF 23N W OF 93W SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. ELSEWHERE SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT N OF 21N...AND 2 TO 4 FT S OF 21N. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING N 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT N OF 21N...AND 1 TO 3 FT S OF 21N. .WED THROUGH THU...W OF FRONT N TO NE 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. E OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN E SWELL. AREAS OF RAIN NEAR FRONT...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS. .FRI...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT BECOMING N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT W OF FRONT...AND 2 TO 4 FT ELSEWHERE. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .SAT...N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT N OF 22N...AND NW TO N 25 TO 30 KT S OF 22N. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT BUILDING TO 9 TO 14 FT BEHIND FRONT. $$ GMZ084-200330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 2011 .TONIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT S OF 27N E OF 88W 15 TO 20 KT EARLY...THEN INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT S OF 27N EARLY...THEN BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 24N E OF 88W. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT W OF 88W. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT E OF 88W...AND 4 TO 6 FT W OF 88W. SCATTERED SHOWERS FAR NW PORTION TUE NIGHT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT NW PORTION BEHIND FRONT N TO NE 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...EXCEPT NW PORTION BEHIND FRONT 3 TO 5 FT IN SE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 1O TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NW PART. .FRI...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT SHIFTING TO N. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT SHIFTING TO NE FRI NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT N TO NE INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ086-200330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST MON DEC 19 2011 .TONIGHT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 25N. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT... HIGHER SEAS STRAITS OF FLORIDA. ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 25N. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .FRI... N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS DIMINISHING TO 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT IN E SWELL. .SAT...E WINDS DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT FAR NW PORTION BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS FAR NW PORTION LATE. ISOLATED SHOWERS ELSEWHERE. $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE