000 FZNT24 KNHC 230316 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 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. GMZ089-230930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .SYNOPSIS...SW RETURN FLOW ACROSS N CENTRAL WATERS CONTINUE THROUGH THU IN ADVANCE OF STRONG COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO NW GULF WATERS EARLY FRI. FRONT REACHES FROM APALACHICOLA FLORIDA TO W BAY OF CAMPECHE FRI NIGHT THEN STALL FROM STRAITS OF FLORIDA TO CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE LATE SAT. GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED BEHIND FRONT FROM LATE FRI THROUGH SAT. REMNANTS OF FRONT DISSIPATE ACROSS EXTREME SE GULF SUN AS WEAK TROUGH DEVELOPS OVER BAY OF CAMPECHE SUN AND MON. $$ GMZ080-230930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...S OF 27N SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. N OF 27N SW WINDS 10 KT INCREASING TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 25 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT LATE. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. NW OF FRONT N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT SHIFTING NE FRI NIGHT. SEAS BUILDING TO 11 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE AT 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 7 FT. .SUN AND MON...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 25 KT NW PART MON. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 7 FT MON. $$ GMZ082-230930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED LATE FRI AND SAT... .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N AT 25 TO 35 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE FRI AND FRI NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 13 FT FRI NIGHT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SAT...S OF 21N E OF 95W E TO SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 24N W OF 95W NW TO NW WINDS 30 TO 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 12 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 LATE. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT IN N SWELL SUBSIDING TO 4 FT. E OF TROUGH E TO SE WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS ISOLATED TSTMS NEAR TROUGH. .MON...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT IN NE SWELL. $$ GMZ084-230930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 20 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT BUILDING TO 5 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .THU THROUGH FRI...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 KT BECOMING NW AT 25 KT BEHIND FRONT LATE FRI. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT W OF FRONT FRI. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .FRI NIGHT AND SAT...N OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT SHIFTING NE SAT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. S OF FRONT E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT IN N SWELL. .SUN...E TO SE WINDS 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 FT. .MON...N OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. $$ GMZ086-230930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST WED FEB 22 2012 .TONIGHT...S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING SW AT 20 KT N OF 27N. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 5 FT N OF 26N LATE. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 20 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 6 FT N OF 28N. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT SHIFTING NW BEHIND FRONT FRI NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 8 FT FRI NIGHT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NE AT 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 SHIFTING NE LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. SE OF FRONT E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT BECOMING NE AT 15 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT BUILDING 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 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. $$ FORECASTER WALLY BARNES