000 FZNT24 KNHC 200815 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 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. GMZ089-201530- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .SYNOPSIS...STRONG SE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TODAY IN ADVANCE OF A COLD FRONT MOVING OFF THE TEXAS COAST THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL STALL FROM CENTRAL LOUISIANA TO THE E BAY OF CAMPECHE WED NIGHT...WEAKEN INTO A TROUGH ALONG 92W THU...THEN DISSIPATE FRI. $$ GMZ080-201530- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE WINDS 20 TO 30 KT SHIFTING NW TO N BEHIND FRONT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. NUMEROUS TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .WED AND WED NIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 25 TO 30 KT BECOMING N TO NE 10 TO 15 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FT LATE. E OF FRONT SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT LATE. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 9 FT LATE. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...W OF TROUGH NE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. E OF TROUGH SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT IN E SWELL. .FRI AND SAT...SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. $$ GMZ082-201530- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .TODAY...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT...EXCEPT 3 TO 5 FT S OF 20N. .TONIGHT THROUGH WED NIGHT...FROM 21N TO 25N W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 15 TO 20 KT INCREASING TO 25 TO 30 KT EARLY WED MORNING. SEAS 4 TO 7 BUILDING TO 7 TO 10 FT. ELSEWHERE W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. E OF FRONT SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT WED NIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT...EXCEPT 3 TO 6 FT S OF 21N. SCATTERED TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU...W OF TROUGH NW TO N WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT IN N SWELL. E OF TROUGH E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .FRI AND SAT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-201530- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .TODAY AND TONIGHT...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT... HIGHEST NW PART. .WED AND WED NIGHT...SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 9 FT. .THU...E TO SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 6 FT. .FRI...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .SAT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 25N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ086-201530- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 430 AM CDT TUE MAR 20 2012 .TODAY THROUGH WED NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .THU...N OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 25N E WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. .FRI...N OF 25N NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N NE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .SAT...N OF 25N SE TO S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 1 TO 2 FT. S OF 25N E 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 MUNDELL