Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1242 PM EDT Tue Sep 25 2018 Valid Sep 25/1200 UTC thru Sep 29/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z Model Evaluation...with Preferences and Forecast Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Large Scale Trof across much of Northern CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: 12z NAM/*06z* GFS & 00z CMC/ECENS mean Confidence: Average Global scale pattern seems to be solid with large Rex Block just off the Pacific West Coast, broad longwave trof across central Canada into the Central Plains/Midwest, with subtropical ridge across the Gulf to Western Atlantic. The spread of course, remains in the timing and amplification of internal shortwaves/jet streaks within the larger global trof. The shortwave and frontal zone currently in the Midwest and Ohio Valley translates quickly with good model agreement through the Northeast and Canada while leaving the lingering front/tropical moisture connection across the South into Western Gulf region. A second shortwave settle into the mean "base" of the trof across the Northern Tier into the Western Great Lakes by early Friday, it is here that models start to divide. The 00z UKMET appears to be most out of phase depicting a greater phasing of shortwave "streams" into much stronger amplification of the wave and leading shortwave ridging across Ontario, sticking out within the ensemble spaghetti plots. The 12z GFS trended toward this greater amplification but in the typical GFS fashion, it breaks down with faster/progressive flow and the wave just becomes too fast compared to the ensemble suite and run to run ensemble trend. The 06z GFS is more solidly placed in the ensemble and remaining deterministic guidance and would be preferred over the 12z run. The 12z NAM is a nice compromise of the GFS solutions while not being too amplified. The 00z ECMWF is ideal through day 2 within the blend, but by day 3, it starts to break from its ensemble suite suggesting a more compact cold pool of the Arctic airmass over NW Canada, buckling the jet structure a bit slower and eventually leading to southward push. This strengthens the low level gradient across the Lee of the Northern US Rockies by Day 3 and falls into a known negative bias of the operational ECMWF, back loading the trof over WY into the Dakotas by late Fri and into NEB/IA...with increased QPF. This is less favored in the overall pattern (large scale trof strong jet) that should be more progressive across the Dakotas with the cold air/surface high. The 00z CMC is slower than the GFS/NAM, but is a good compromise with respect to ECMWF. All considered a general model blend transitioning toward a blend of the 12z NAM, 00z CMC and 06z GFS and 00z ECENS mean by Fri is preferred, above average initially trending toward slightly below average by the end of day 3... or perhaps average for the entire duration. ...Tail end shortwave across TX (frontal zone into Carolinas): ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Halfway between NAM/GFS and CMC/ECMWF Confidence: Below average The tail end the initial trof will take up residence across TX in the weaker flow, Thurs, into Friday. The placement/strength of the frontal zone from NE TX across the south into the Southern Appalachians/Carolinas is fairly well agreed upon, though timing differences and intersection of this timing and moisture flux from the Gulf leads to modest spread of QPF. The NAM/GFS maybe a bit too weak in shearing out the lingering shortwave feature, issues in the northern stream, make the UKMET a bit less favorable too. The CMC/ECMWF appear a bit too compact, generating a spot low... which given the overall flow regime (southwesterly flow out of the Tropical East Pacific) seems unlikely as well. A compromise between the GFS/NAM and the CMC/ECMWF seems to best represent WPC's preference at this time, confidence is below average for this area. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Gallina