000 FZNT24 KNHC 170853 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 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. GMZ089-171530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL CONTINUE IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT ENTERING THE NW GULF AROUND SUNSET TODAY. THE FRONT WILL QUICKLY REACH FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO NW BAY OF CAMPECHE AROUND SUNRISE WED...FROM TAMPA BAY TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT...THEN STALL BRIEFLY OVER THE SOUTHERN WATERS THU. REMNANTS OF THE FRONT WILL RACE BACK N AS A WARM FRONT THU NIGHT AND FRI. THE NEXT COLD FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE NW WATERS SAT. $$ GMZ080-171530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE WED. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT WED NIGHT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT N OF 27N...AND 3 TO 5 FT IN E SWELL S OF 27N. .FRI...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 4 TO 6 FT LATE. .SAT...NW OF FRONT NW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ082-171530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NW TO N 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT. 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 NW TO N WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN N SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS. .FRI...N OF 22N W OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-171530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT BY NOON. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT TONIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS FAR N PORTION. .WED AND WED NIGHT...N OF 26N SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 26N E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...EXCEPT N OF 26N BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN SE SWELL S OF 27N...AND 2 TO 3 FT N OF 27N. .FRI...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-171530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST TUE JAN 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SW TONIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...N OF 26N SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 26N VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING N WED NIGHT. SEAS 2 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING VARIABLE THU NIGHT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .FRI...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .SAT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ FORECASTER NELSON