000 FZNT24 KNHC 222144 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 330 PM 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. GMZ089-230330- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 330 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SW RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE N CENTRAL WATERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THU IN ADVANCE OF STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NW GULF WATERS EARLY FRI. FRONT EXPECTED TO REACH FROM APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO FAR W BAY OF CAMPECHE BY FRI EVENING... THEN GRADUALLY STALL FROM STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE SAT EVENING. GALES EXPECTED BEHIND FRONT FRI EVENING THROUGH SAT. REMNANTS OF THE FRONT WILL DISSIPATE ACROSS EXTREME SE GULF SUN AS RETURN FLOW BEGINS ACROSS NW PORTIONS. $$ GMZ080-230330- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 330 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...S OF 27N E OF 94W SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. ELSEWHERE S TO SW WINDS 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT NE PART LATE. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT LATE. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. NW OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE WINDS FRI NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING 7 TO 11 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FT. .SUN AND MON...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT FAR NW PORTIONS MON. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 7 FT MON. $$ GMZ082-230330- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 330 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATE FRI AND SAT... .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BECOMING N TO NE NEAR 10 KT NEAR YUCATAN PENINSULA THIS EVENING. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 15 KT FRI EVENING THEN N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT INCREASING TO 35 KT FRI NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING 8 TO 13 FT. SCATTERED 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 DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 30 KT LATE. 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...S OF 22N W OF TROUGH NW WINDS 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL. E OF TROUGH E TO SE WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR TROUGH. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-230330- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 330 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .THU THROUGH FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 25 KT BEHIND FRONT FRI AFTERNOON. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT NW OF FRONT FRI. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI NIGHT AND SAT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE WINDS SAT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. S OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .SUN...E TO SE WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...N OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT IN SE SWELL. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ086-230330- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 330 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING S TO SW AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT N OF 27N. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT N OF 26N TONIGHT. .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 AND FRI NIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT SHIFTING TO NW BEHIND FRONT FRI NIGHT. 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...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT BECOMING NE LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. SE OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT SHIFTING NE 10 TO 15 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. .SUN AND MON...N OF 25N E WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. $$ FORECASTER STRIPLING