Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1144 PM EST Wed Dec 05 2018 Valid Dec 06/0000 UTC thru Dec 09/1200 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 00Z Model Evaluation...with Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General blend of the GEFS/ECENS means; 12z ECMWF Confidence: Slightly above average A positively tilted trough off California will shift southeast to northern Mexico through Friday and reach the southern Great Plains Saturday. Little precipitation is expected with this system in the CONUS until Friday when Gulf moisture is tapped over TX. Precipitation then blossoms over the southern Plains and lower MS Valley through Saturday as surface low pressure develops with heavy rain threats near the Gulf Coast and wintry weather threats inland on the north side of the precipitation shield. Through Day 2, there is relatively good agreement with the upper level open wave across Texas. Beyond that, both spatial and temporal differences become significant. The GFS and the UKMET to some degree are more progressive compared to the ECMWF solution. The 00z NAM is stronger with the upper level low and also colder with its thermal profiles. The 00z GFS did trend a bit colder as well. The CMC is considered an outlier and has consistently been too far north with the surface low track along the SE coast. The WPC preference for the southern stream storm system is for a blend of the GEFS and ECENS mean, weighted toward the slower ECMWF solution for the surface/upper level synoptic features. The other area of notable precipitation in the CONUS in the 3-day forecast range is with a trough approaching the coastal Pac NW Saturday. There is pretty good agreement with the QPF fields and a general model blend would suffice. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Taylor