000 FZNT24 KNHC 170929 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 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. GMZ089-171530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK ATLC RIDGE NEARLY W TO E ALONG 30N-31N WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE E TO SE FLOW TODAY THEN INCREASE SUN AND MON IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT ENTERING THE NW WATERS TUE. THE FRONT WILL EXTEND FROM SE LOUISIANA TO THE CENTRAL BAY OF CAMPECHE BY WED AFTERNOON. $$ GMZ080-171530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...S OF 28N W OF 95W SE WINDS INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. ELSEWHERE SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SUN THROUGH MON...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO LOCALLY 25 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING 6 TO 9 FT LATE MON NIGHT. .TUE...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. .WED...E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT. W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS DIMINISH TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 7 FT. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. $$ GMZ082-171530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 2012 .TODAY...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .TONIGHT THROUGH SUN NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT NE TO E WINDS 20 KT WITHIN 150 NM OF COAST OF YUCATAN. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .MON...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT N OF 22N. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .TUE...W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NW TO N 20 TO 30 KT LATE. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT BUILDING TO 6 TO 8 FT LATE. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT S OF 20N. SCATTERED TSTMS AHEAD OF FRONT. .WED...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT EXCEPT 3 FT OR LESS S OF 20N. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG FRONT. $$ GMZ084-171530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...N OF 27N SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT S OF 24N THIS EVENING. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT BUILDING TO 4 TO 6 FT TONIGHT. .SUN THROUGH MON...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 KT THROUGHOUT MON. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .TUE...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. .WED...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NW 15 TO 20 KT BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. S OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ086-171530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 AM CDT SAT MAR 17 2012 .TODAY THROUGH SUN NIGHT...N OF 27N E TO SE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT INCREASING TO 15 TO 20 KT SUN NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 6 FT S OF 25N SUN NIGHT. .MON...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT EXCEPT TO 7 FT WITHIN THE FLORIDA CURRENT. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .WED...SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ EFFECTIVE APRIL 03 2012 AT 1800 UTC THE OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST ZONES CHANGE FOR THE CARIBBEAN AND SW N ATLANTIC AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. FOR DETAILS SEE WWW.NHC.NOAA.GOV/EXPERIMENTAL/OFFSHORES/ EFFECTIVE APRIL 03 2012 NEW RADIOFAX SCHEDULE FOR NEW ORLEANS CHARTS AND TEXT PRODUCTS. ON AIR SCHEDULE LISTING OF THE NEW SCHEDULE BEGINS ON OR ABOUT MAR 28 2012. FORECAST COVERAGE FOR NEW ORLEANS...MIAMI AND SAN JUAN NAVTEX CHANGES APR 03 2012. FOR DETAILS SEE NGA OR USCG NOTICES TO MARINERS OR WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MARINE FORECASTER STRIPLING