Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1158 PM EST Mon Nov 26 2018 Valid Nov 27/0000 UTC thru Nov 30/1200 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 00Z NAM/GFS Evaluation...with Preliminary Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Non 00Z NAM blend, led by the 00Z GFS and 12Z ECMWF Confidence: Average Amplified mid-upper flow was in place at the beginning of the short range period with troughing just off of the West coast, ridging over the Intermountain West and a large closed low centered over the Great Lakes region. Through Wednesday into Thursday, the flow will become rather zonal across the lower 48 but a potent shortwave is expected to reach the coast of northern California Thursday morning and amplify into the Four Corners region Friday morning. The largest differences stem from a potent shortwave approaching northern California Thursday morning. The 00Z NAM trended flatter/weaker with this feature and is not in agreement with the ensemble clustering. Actually, the ensembles show a modest amount of spread off of the West Coast, but the 00Z NAM is significantly different and on the far edge of the ensemble guidance. Given the lack of support for the 00Z NAM, it will not be included in the preference. Downstream to the east of the Rockies, a frontal wave is forecast to track toward the middle Mississippi River Valley through Friday morning but significant non-NAM model differences exist related to the strength of a 700 mb shortwave. There are timing and amplitude differences in all of the models regarding the low level shortwave, but the 00Z GFS and 12Z ECMWF are rather similar and match closest to a blend of the GEFS/ECMWF ensemble means. The only area where the 12Z ECMWF is not favored is with a weak frontal wave near northern North Dakota late Wednesday into Thursday afternoon. It is here that there is decent ensemble agreement with a wave of low pressure which is reasonably close to a non-12Z ECMWF blend. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Otto