000 FZNT24 KNHC 180839 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 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. GMZ089-181530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012 .SYNOPSIS...A WEAK RIDGE E TO W ALONG 31N WILL MAINTAIN MODERATE SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW TODAY WHICH WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MON IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING INTO NW TEXAS. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE NW GULF WATERS TUE AFTERNOON AND MOVE SLOWLY SE...REACHING FROM THE LOUISIANA-TEXAS BORDER TO UPPER MEXICAN COAST OVERNIGHT TUE BEFORE MOVING E AND REACHING FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA TO THE E BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT AND FROM THE FAR W FLORIDA PANHANDLE TO THE E BAY OF CAMPECHE THU NIGHT. $$ GMZ080-181530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012 .TODAY THROUGH MON NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 KT TONIGHT THEN BECOMING SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT MON NIGHT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT BY MON MORNING THEN TO 6 TO 9 FT LATE MON NIGHT. .TUE...E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT SW PORTIONS LATE. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 25 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO GALE FORCE LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. E OF FRONT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SQUALLS AND TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. .WED...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT OVERNIGHT. SEAS GRADUALLY SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. E OF FRONT S TO SW WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 TO 6 FT LATE. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. .THU...E OF 93W N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. W OF 93W VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ082-181530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT BECOMING NE TO E 20 TO 25 KT WITHIN 150 NM OF YUCATAN COAST DURING THE EVENING. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT EXCEPT 2 TO 4 FT S OF 20N. .MON AND MON NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 20 TO 25 KT N OF 22N...BECOMING NE TO E 20 TO 25 KT WITHIN 150 NM OF YUCATAN COAST DURING THE EVENING. SEAS BUILDING TO 5 TO 8 FT EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT S OF 20N. .TUE...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT S OF 21N W OF 93W BY LATE AFTERNOON AND ACROSS NW PORTIONS AHEAD OF COLD FRONT LATE. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. W OF FRONT WINDS SHIFTING N 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS CONFUSED 6 TO 8 FT. SCATTERED SQUALLS AND TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. .WED...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO GALE FORCE BECOMING N 20 TO 25 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT AHEAD OF FRONT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT S OF 20N. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF FRONT. .THU...N OF 21N W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. S OF 21N W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. E OF FRONT VARIABLE WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT IN N SWELL. $$ GMZ084-181530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012 .TODAY THROUGH MON NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT EXCEPT BECOMING E 20 TO 25 KT WITHIN 150 NM OF YUCATAN COAST DURING THE EVENINGS. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 7 FT BY MON NIGHT. .TUE...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT...HIGHEST N OF 26N. .WED...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT AHEAD OF FRONT WED NIGHT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. W OF FRONT WINDS SHIFTING NW TO N 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT. .THU...E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. W OF FRONT N TO NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. $$ GMZ086-181530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 AM CDT SUN MAR 18 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...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 THIS EVENING. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT BUILDING TO 5 TO 6 FT IN THE STRAITS. .MON AND MON NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT EXCEPT TO 7 FT IN THE STRAITS. .TUE...E TO SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .WED...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 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