000 FZNT24 KNHC 182301 AAA OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 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. GMZ089-190330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012 .SYNOPSIS...LOW PRES NEAR 29N94W 1006 MB WITH COLD FRONT SW TO 21N97W WILL QUICKLY TRACK NE TO ACROSS SE UNITED TONIGHT AND SUN PUSHING THE COLD FRONT TO A POSITION FROM NEAR MOBILE ALABAMA TO THE EASTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE BY LATE TONIGHT...FROM NE FLORIDA TO NE YUCATAN PENINSULA EARLY SUN AFTERNOON...AND FROM SW FLORIDA TO NE YUCATAN PENINSULA EARLY SUN EVENING BEFORE EXITING THE AREA. HIGH PRES IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT WILL SLIDE EASTWARD THROUGH MON NIGHT ALLOWING FOR SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW TO SET UP OVER MUCH OF THE GULF. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL ENTER THE NW WATERS EARLY TUE...AND DISSIPATE NEAR SE LOUISIANA LATE TUE. A STRONGER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF WED INTO THU. $$ GMZ080-190330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012 .TONIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT W TO NW WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT 5 TO 8 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT LATE. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER IN NUMEROUS TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .SUN...NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. .SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...SHIFTING TO E TO SE LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .TUE...WINDS BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT...AND S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W TO NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .THU...SW TO W WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-190330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT W TO NW 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT 5 TO 8 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .SUN...N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN N SWELL. .SUN NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING TO E TO SE LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .MON AND MON NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .WED...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING TO N TO NE BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU...NE TO E WINDS 10 KT SHIFTING TO E TO SE LATE. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ084-190330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012 .TONIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING W TO NW 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT SUN...BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING 7 TO 10 FT BEHIND FRONT. S OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT SHIFTING TO NW TO N BEHIND FRONT...THEN SHIFTING TO N TO NE SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...SHIFTING TO E TO SE MON NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT MON NIGHT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .WED...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT SHIFTING TO W TO NW. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. S OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .THU...W TO NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT SW AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. $$ GMZ086-190330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 500 PM CST SAT FEB 18 2012 .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT N OF 27N 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT OVERNIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT...EXCEPT N OF 27N 3 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT LATE. WINDS AND SEAS HIGHER IN AND NEAR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS N OF 27N. ISOLATED SHOWERS S OF 27N. .SUN AND SUN NIGHT...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT EXCEPT N OF 27N 25 TO 30 KT...WINDS SHIFTING TO NW IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT...EXCEPT N OF 27N 7 TO 10 FT. S OF 25N WINDS SHIFTING TO S TO SW 10 TO 15 KT....AND TO W TO NW EARLY SUN NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT SUN NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT MOVING SE OF AREA SUN NIGHT. .MON AND MON NIGHT...WINDS BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT... SHIFTING TO E TO SE MON NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT MON NIGHT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT SHIFTING TO SE TO S LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. AREAS OF RAIN DEVELOPING OVER FAR NORTHERN PORTION. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. AREAS OF RAIN OVER FAR N PORTION. .THU...SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...SHIFTING TO W TO NW LATE. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NEAR FRONT. $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE