000 FZNT24 KNHC 010918 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 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. GMZ089-011530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRES CENTER 1024 MB OVER NE GULF MAINTAIN STEADY FLOW OVER MODERATE E-SE BREEZE ACROSS MOST OF BASIN. COLD FRONT ENTER NW GULF EARLY TODAY AND QUICKLY REACH FROM BIG BEND FLORIDA TO 25N92W TO 20N97W LATE TODAY AND SE OF AREA TONIGHT. GALE FORCE WINDS EXPECTED S OF 23N W OF FRONT MON WITH STRONG N BREEZE ELSEWHERE W OF FRONT. WINDS DIMINISH BY LATE TUE AS HIGH PRES BUILDS OVER NE GULF WED AND THU. $$ GMZ080-011530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS LESS THAN 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 9 FT TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT MON NIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 FT NW HALF MON NIGHT. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING TO SE LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT E OF 94W SUBSIDING TO 4 FT LATE AND 6 FT W OF 94W. .WED AND THU...SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-011530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 23N W OF 95W MON AND MON NIGHT... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...NE WINDS 10 KT BECOMING N WINDS AT 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT W OF FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...S OF 23N W OF 95W NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 KT LATE MON NIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT. ELSEWHERE W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT BUILDING TO 12 FT IN N SWELL MON NIGHT. E OF FRONT NE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .TUE...S OF 21N W OF 93W NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING E AT 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 9 TO 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 6 FT LATE. N OF 21N W OF 93W NE WINDS 15 KT SHIFTING SE LATE. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 5 FT LATE. E OF 94W NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING E TO SE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 5 FT LATE. .WED AND THU...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 FT LATE WED. $$ GMZ084-011530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 27N SW TO W WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING N 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 27N NE WINDS 10 KT BECOMING N AT 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 10 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT BUILDING TO 11 MON NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .TUE...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 FT N OF 26N AND 9 FT S OF 26N LATE. .WED AND THU...N OF 26N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 FT THU. S OF 26N NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 2 FT LATE THU. $$ GMZ086-011530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST SUN JAN 01 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 26N LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS BECOMING NW TO N AT 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 26N NE TO E WINDS 10 KT SHIFT N TONIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. .TUE...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 FT LATE. .WED AND THU...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT N OF 27N THU. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 FT S OF 25N AND TO 1 FT N OF 25N THU. $$ FORECASTER WALLY BARNES