Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1154 AM EST Mon Nov 12 2018 Valid Nov 12/1200 UTC thru Nov 16/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z Model Evaluation...with Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Blend of the 12Z GFS/NAM and 00Z ECMWF Confidence: Slightly above average The synoptic pattern currently features an upper level ridge over the western US with downstream troughing across the central US. A couple of shortwave troughs are embedded in the flow, one moving across the northern tier and southern Canada while another is slowly drifting through the lower Rockies around CO/NM. A plume of subtropical moisture exists ahead of that, bringing widespread precipitation to much of the southeast US. At the surface, an area of low pressure was analyzed near the Texas Gulf Coast with a quasi-stationary boundary hugging the coastline from TX/LA to the FL/AL line. Over the next few days, the the southern stream shortwave will continue to slow and become further detached/removed from its parent northern stream energy. It eventually closes off by Wednesday morning over north Texas, which is where model uncertainty begins to increase. The UKMET is considered an outlier, as it is considerably faster than the rest of the global deterministic models with the progression of the closed low. The 12z GFS is faster with the closed low position compared to the ECMWF, but the spread has been decreasing in the past few model cycles. The surface low over the Gulf Coast is expected to redevelop and strengthen off the mid-Atlantic coast tonight into Tuesday. There is better model agreement with its track and strength now as it tracks up the coastline, though the ECMWF (and ECENS low clusters) are a bit to the west compared to the GFS (and its GEFS clusters), which take the low more off the coast. The 12z NAM low track lies in between of these two solutions. Meanwhile, the 00z CMC seems too low compared to the consensus. Toward the end of the forecast period, another area of low pressure is likely to form across the northeast Gulf of Mexico and eventually track up the eastern seaboard. There is larger model uncertainty with its track beyond the current forecast period. The overall preference is weighted toward a blend of the 12Z GFS/NAM and 00z ECMWF. Confidence in particular across the southern and eastern U.S. by Thursday is below average considering the degree of spread among the deterministic and ensemble guidance. Elsewhere, confidence is generally above average. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Taylor