000 FZNT24 KNHC 020240 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 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. GMZ089-020930- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 2012 .SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRES EXTENDING FROM THE SW ATLC ACROSS THE NORTHERN WATERS WILL SHIFT EASTWARD FRI ALLOWING FOR A COLD FRONT TO MOVE OFF THE TEXAS/SW LOUISIANA COASTS EARLY SAT. THE FRONT WILL REACH FROM THE FLORIDA BIG BEND TO THE BAY OF CAMPECHE BY SAT EVENING...FROM FORT MYERS FLORIDA TO YUCATAN PENINSULA EARLY SUN...THEN SE OF THE GULF SUN AFTERNOON. STRONG OFFSHORE WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT REACHING GALE FORCE OVER A PORTION OF THE SW GULF SAT EVENING AND SUN. HIGH PRES WILL BUILD ACROSS THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...THEN SLIDE EASTWARD MON AND TUE WITH A STRENGTHENING PRES GRADIENT OVER MUCH OF THE MIDDLE AND EASTERN GULF. $$ GMZ080-020930- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 2012 .TONIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. AREAS OF DENSE FOG N OF 28N AND S OF 28N W OF 95W TONIGHT. ISOLATED SHOWERS AND TSTMS FAR NW PART. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING LIGHT AND VARIABLE NW PORTION FRI NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. AREAS OF DENSE FOG FAR NW AND N PORTIONS FRI NIGHT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS FAR N PART. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT...EXCEPT N OF 28N SUBSIDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. .MON AND TUE...NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT...EXCEPT S OF 27N E OF 93W 15 TO 20 KT AND SHIFTING TO E TO SE W OF 93W. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT S OF 27N...AND 1 TO 3 FT N OF 27N. $$ GMZ082-020930- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 2012 ...GALE CONDITIONS EXPECTED S OF 23N W OF 95W SAT NIGHT AND SUN... .TONIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT N OF 22N...AND 2 TO 3 FT S OF 22N. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...BECOMING NW TO N 30 TO 40 KT BEHIND FRONT SAT EVENING. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 8 TO 12 FT BEHIND FRONT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...S OF 23N W OF 95W NW TO N WINDS 30 TO 35 KT EARLY... DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT EARLY... SUBSIDING TO 8 TO 12 FT. ELSEWHERE N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...EXCEPT E OF FRONT N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 8 FT NW PART LATE...EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT FAR SE PART EARLY. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON AND TUE...WINDS BECOMING N TO NE 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT W OF 94W NE TO E 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT IN NE SWELL...EXCEPT E OF 94W 7 TO 9 FT. $$ GMZ084-020930- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 2012 .TONIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT...HIGHEST NEAR YUCATAN PENINSULA AND CHANNEL. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. S OF 27N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT ENTIRE AREA. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N 20 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...HIGHEST NEAR YUCATAN CHANNEL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT...EXCEPT N OF 28N DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 28N LATE. SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN NE SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...S OF 26N NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. N OF 26N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT N OF 28N. .TUE...NE TO E WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT S OF 26N...AND 5 TO 8 FT N OF 26N. $$ GMZ086-020930- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 930 PM CST THU MAR 01 2012 .TONIGHT...N OF 27N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .FRI AND FRI NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. .SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT...EXCEPT BEHIND FRONT BECOMING N 20 TO 25 KT SAT NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT...BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT BEHIND FRONT SAT NIGHT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 5 TO 10 KT LATE. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .SUN...NW OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT N OF 28N LATE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT...SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT N OF 28N LATE. SE OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN N SWELL. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .MON...S OF 26N NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. N OF 26N N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 TO 4 FT N OF 28N. .TUE...S OF 25N NE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. N OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. $$ FORECASTER AGUIRRE/COBB