000 FZNT24 KNHC 220833 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 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. GMZ089-221530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW WILL INCREASE OVER THE N CENTRAL WATERS TODAY...AND SPREAD ACROSS ALL OF THE NORTHERN GULF WATERS TONIGHT AND THU IN ADVANCE OF STRONG COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NW GULF LATE THU NIGHT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO BAY OF CAMPECHE LATE FRI...THEN STALL FROM SW FLORIDA TO 22N96W SAT. REMNANTS OF THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM SE TEXAS TO THE SE BAY OF CAMPECHE SUN. $$ GMZ080-221530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S OF 28N E OF 92W SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT THEN BECOMING N AT 25 TO 30 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT LATE THU NIGHT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI...E OF FRONT SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. .SUN...W OF 95W NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT IN NE SWELL. E OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. $$ GMZ082-221530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 2012 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED FRI AND SAT... .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT INCREASING TO 30 TO 35 KT W OF 95W. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. E OF FRONT S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...S OF 21N E OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 24N W OF 95W NW TO NW WINDS 30 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 15 FT. ELSEWHERE NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...SW OF TROUGH FROM 25N96W TO 19N91W NW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT IN N SWELL. NE OF TROUGH SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT IN N SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR TROUGH. $$ GMZ084-221530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 24N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 24N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU THROUGH FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT FRI AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT W OF FRI NIGHT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT FRI NIGHT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. .SUN...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. $$ GMZ086-221530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 AM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TODAY...S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .TONIGHT...N OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 25N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 20 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 4 TO 6 FT NW WATERS. .FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT SHIFTING TO NW BEHIND FRONT FRI AFTERNOON. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT FRI NIGHT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE FRI NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR FRONT. .SAT...NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .SUN...E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. $$ FORECASTER NELSON