000 FZNT24 KNHC 202042 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 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. GMZ089-210330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY RETURN OVER THE NW GULF WATERS WILL SPREAD E ACROSS THE ENTIRE GULF THROUGH WED...THEN INCREASE WED NIGHT AND THU AS ATLC HIGH PRES BUILDS WESTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF. THE RIDGE WILL THEN BEGIN TO RETREAT E THU ALLOWING FOR A STRONG COLD FRONT TO ENTER THE WESTERN PORTION LATE THU. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE FAR WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO WESTERN BAY OF CAMPECHE EARLY FRI...FROM NEAR TAMPA FLORIDA TO THE NORTHERN YUCATAN PENINSULA BY LATE FRI...THEN MOVE SE OF THE GULF SAT AS STRONG HIGH PRES BUILDS E ACROSS THE AREA. $$ GMZ080-210330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NW PART. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...NE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT TUE NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 10 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT SHIFTING TO NW AND BECOMING S 10 TO 15 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT.SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .THU AND FRI...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT... INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AND BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 4 TO 7 FT THU NIGHT...AND 7 TO 11 FT FRI. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...WINDS BECOMING NE TO E 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT W OF 92W SHIFTING TO SE LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 27N...AND TO 5 TO 8 FT S OF 27N. $$ GMZ082-210330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 .TONIGHT THROUGH TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT TONIGHT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .FRI...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .SAT...NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. $$ GMZ084-210330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 .TONIGHT...SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT...BECOMING SE TO S 10 TO 15 KT TUE NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS NW PART. .WED AND WED NIGHT...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU AND FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AND SHIFTING TO NW BEHIND FRONT FRI. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT FRI. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...WINDS BECOMING N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...DIMINISHING TO NE 10 TO 15 KT N OF 27N LATE. SEAS BUILDING TO 8 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 27N LATE. $$ GMZ086-210330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST MON FEB 20 2012 .TONIGHT...NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...EXCEPT S OF 25N 5 TO 7 FT EARLY SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. .TUE AND TUE NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S TO SW 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT...EXCEPT N OF 27N BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT LATE. .FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT SHIFTING TO NW TO N . SEAS 5 TO 7 FT...BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FT LATE. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...SHIFTING TO SW TO W LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...WINDS BECOMING N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT...EXCEPT N OF 27N NW TO N 20 KT DIMINISHING TO N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...EXCEPT N OF 27N SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. $$ FORECASTER DGS/AGUIRRE