Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1250 PM EDT Fri Jun 29 2018 Valid Jun 29/1200 UTC thru Jul 03/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z NAM/GFS evaluation...including preliminary preferences ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Longwave trough moving eastward from the western U.S. to the northern Plains and Great Lakes this weekend with accompanying cold front... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend Confidence: Average Overall with mass fields, there were no significant differences noted. ...Weak mid-level low retrograding from the Southeast coast this morning to the central Gulf Coast Monday morning... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Non 00Z CMC blend Confidence: Slightly below average While the 12Z GFS is the weakest at 500 mb with this feature along the Gulf coast, it is not out of line enough from the remaining deterministic consensus to exclude it from part of a blend. Only the 00Z CMC differs significantly with the CMC keeping the mid-level vorticity center farther east by Monday across the South, compared to the remaining deterministic and ensemble guidance. While the models all show reasonable agreement today, they all showed reasonable agreement yesterday as well, but today's guidance has largely shifted south valid Saturday and Sunday evening. Future shifts are possible which lowers confidence despite generally good agreement outside of the 00Z CMC between the deterministic guidance and the ensemble means. ...Next upper level trough/low forecast to set up over the Northwest U.S. by Monday evening... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Non 12Z NAM blend Confidence: Slightly above average The 12Z NAM is quicker to bring mid-level height falls into the Northwest compared to the remaining available guidance. It is not atypical for the NAM to differ by 84 hours out into the forecast in the Northwest and given it lies on the very fastest edge of available GEFS/ECMWF/CMC ensemble members, will exclude the NAM from the preference. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Otto