Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1131 PM EST Sat Dec 15 2018 Valid Dec 16/0000 UTC thru Dec 19/1200 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 00Z Model Evaluation...with Preliminary Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Multi Model Blend Confidence: Above Average Overall model agreement across the CONUS remains above average over the next three days. Still some minor run to run fluctuations with the northeastern U.S. low, but in general all model solutions appear reasonable and within the expected spread for the lead time. Across the west, clustering is good with the progressive trough moving across Monday, and with the tight zonal flow and atmospheric river moving into the Pacific Northwest later Monday into Tuesday. The largest model spread, although still not large, appears to exist with the developing troughing over the central U.S on Tuesday. There are some depth and timing differences with this feature, although for a day 3 forecast the spread is not all that large. The 12z CMC may be a tad to quick with this trough, and the 0z NAM may be a bit too deep, but neither really appears to be an egregious outlier. Thus a multi model blend should be fine here as well. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Chenard