Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 332 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 model evaluation...including final 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. No notable changes were observed between the 12Z ECMWF/UKMET/CMC relative to their 00Z cycles. ...Weak mid-level low retrograding from the Southeast coast this morning to the central Gulf Coast Monday morning... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model 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. The 12Z CMC adjusted to be in line with the remaining model consensus regarding its mid-level vorticity center on Monday across the South so it has been included as part of the preference. 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 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. No notable changes were observed between the 12Z ECMWF/UKMET/CMC relative to their 00Z cycles. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Otto