000 FZNT24 KNHC 211516 OFFNT4 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 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. GMZ089-212130- SYNOPSIS FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 2012 .SYNOPSIS...COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM 30N92W TO 18N95W MOVE E AND STALL FROM 29N90W TO 18N93W TONIGHT THEN BECOME DIFFUSE THU. PRESENT NEAR GALE SE WINDS DIMINISH DRASTICALLY TONIGHT BECOMING A LIGHT TO MODERATE BREEZE ON BOTH SIDES OF DIFFUSING FRONT THU. ATLC HIGH PRES EXTENDS W INTO GULF E OF 90W FRI AND SAT. WEAK FRONT PUSHES S INTO NE GULF SUN SPLITTING ATLC HIGH PRES. $$ GMZ080-212130- NW GULF N OF 25N W OF 90W INCLUDING THE FLOWER GARDEN BANKS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE AT 10 TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 FT TONIGHT. E OF FRONT SE WINDS 25 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 10 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 FT TONIGHT. WIND AND SEAS HIGHER IN NUMEROUS TSTMS ALONG FRONT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...S OF 28N E OF 92W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 7 FT IN SE SWELL. ELSEWHERE E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 TO 5 FT. .FRI AND SAT...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SUN...SE TO S WINDS 10 KT OR LESS. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. $$ GMZ082-212130- SW GULF S OF 25N W OF 90W 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...W OF FRONT NW TO N WINDS 20 TO 30 KT BECOMING NE AT 15 KT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. S OF 21N E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. N OF 21N E OF FRONT SE TO S WINDS 20 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...N OF 21N W OF 93W N TO NE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. S OF 21N W OF 93W NW TO N WINDS 15 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. E OF 94W SE TO S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI THROUGH SUN...E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. $$ GMZ084-212130- MIDDLE GULF BETWEEN 85W AND 90W 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE WINDS 20 TO 25 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT TONIGHT. SEAS 7 TO 9 FT SUBSIDING TO 5 FT S OF 25N TONIGHT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT THU NIGHT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT SUBSIDING TO 4 FT TONIGHT. .FRI...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SAT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .SUN...N OF 27N NW TO N WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 4 FT. S OF 27N NE TO E WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. $$ GMZ086-212130- E GULF BETWEEN 81W AND 85W 1030 AM CDT WED MAR 21 2012 .THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SE WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 6 FT. .THU AND THU NIGHT...E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 5 FT. .FRI...N OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. S OF 26N E TO SE WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 3 TO 4 FT. .SAT...N OF 26N S TO SW WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 26N SE TO S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. .SUN...N OF 27N W TO NW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 TO 3 FT. S OF 27N N WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. SEAS 2 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 WALLY BARNES