000 FZNT24 KNHC 161455 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 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. GMZ089-162130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL CONTINUE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT ENTERING THE NW GULF TUE NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY REACH FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO NW BAY OF CAMPECHE BY EARLY WED...FROM TAMPA BAY TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT...THEN BECOME STATIONARY OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION THU. THE FRONT WILL LIFT BACK N AS A WARM LATE THU AND FRI. $$ GMZ080-162130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NW PORTION. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW TO N 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT AND INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE TUE NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .WED...NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT LATE. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT N OF 27N...AND 3 TO 5 FT IN E SWELL S OF 27N. .FRI...WINDS BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-162130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT S OF 22N E OF 93W E TO SE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .WED...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...E OF 95W E WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT N OF 22N...AND 2 TO 3 FT S OF 22N. W OF 95W WINDS BECOMING NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .FRI...N OF 22N W OF 94W WINDS BECOMING SE TO S 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE N OF 20N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 20N E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ084-162130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...N OF 25N SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT... HIGHEST FAR SE PART NEAR YUCATAN CHANNEL. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...WINDS BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS FAR N PORTION. .WED...N OF 26N WINDS BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. S OF 26N WINDS NE TO E 5 TO 10 KT...SHIFTING TO N TO NE IN THE EVENING. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...WINDS BECOMING NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT N OF 26N BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN SE SWELL S OF 27N...AND 2 TO 3 FT N OF 27N. .FRI...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-162130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 AM CST MON JAN 16 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...N OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT N OF 26N SHIFTING TO SE TO S LATE AND INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KT S OF 25N. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS FAR S PORTION. .FRI...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. ISOLATED SHOWERS FAR S PORTION. $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE