Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 236 PM EDT Thu Oct 25 2018 Valid Oct 25/1200 UTC thru Oct 29/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z Model Evaluation...with Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Central/Eastern US... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overall Preference: Blend of 12z ECMWF/GFS/UKMET Confidence: Average 19z update: The remainder of the 12z guidance (ECMWF/UKMET/CMC) came in line with the earlier guidance (GFS/NAM) with the troughing to develop over the eastern US Friday night-Saturday. While there are some strength differences, the overall tilt and placement of the trough axis is in pretty good agreement. Some differences remain for Sunday with the secondary vort max over the Great Lakes. The ECMWF/UKMET is weaker/more open compared to the stronger GFS/NAM. For the surface low tracking up the coast, there is good clustering between the various models...the ECMWF is slightly more inland compared to the more offshore NAM. ---previous discussion--- Troughing will deepen over the central/eastern US through the weekend as a surface low tracks up the East Coast. Overall, models are in reasonably good agreement with the large scale pattern with the main differences noted across central US with respect to a couple shortwaves dropping down in the flow. For the shortwave dropping through Southeast US Saturday, 12z GFS/NAM are in better agreement with the ECMWF compared to previous model cycles, while the 00z CMC looks too far south and strong. As the trough becomes more negatively tilted Sunday, a secondary vorticity maxima comes through the Upper Midwest, Mid-MS River Valley. All of the deterministic guidance have similar placement of this feature but with varying degrees in magnitude. The NAM and GFS are much stronger compared to the ECMWF, while the CMC is actually flatter and further north. At the surface, a low will track up the East Coast Friday into Saturday. The NAM is faster compared to the consensus and also deeper. The ECMWF takes the low further inland compared to the UKMET/CMC/GFS solutions. As far as QPF goes, there are some magnitude differences between the ECMWF and GFS, though placement is relatively similar. As such, a blend of the 00z ECMWF/12z GFS for the central/eastern CONUS is preferred. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Pacific Northwest... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Overall Preference: Non-NAM model blend Confidence: Slightly above average 19z update: Good consensus with the surface low pushing inland across B.C. tonight followed by a brief period of ridging/surface high pressure. A stronger wave then moves onshore Saturday night. The NAM is too fast with the front coming in compared to the rest of the guidance, which is reasonably clustered together. ---previous discussion--- A stronger trough will swing through the Pacific Northwest and B.C. Saturday night into Sunday. There is reasonable agreement here, though the NAM is faster bringing the trough (and QPF) inland compared to the ECMWF/GFS. The GFS is stronger (wetter) compared to the ECMWF while the UKMET is roughly in the middle. So, a general non-NAM blend is preferred here. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Taylor