Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1127 AM EST Sun Dec 16 2018 Valid Dec 16/1200 UTC thru Dec 20/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z NAM/GFS Evaluation...with Preliminary Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General Model Blend Confidence: Slightly Above Average Model agreement continues to be above average across the lower 48 through Wednesday as the flow pattern evolves toward low-amplitude longwave ridging along the West Coast and longwave troughing over the center of the nation. There are some differences worth mentioning, but non are significant enough to exclude a single model at this time which translates into a general model blend of the latest deterministic guidance. The 12Z NAM is slightly more amplified with a shortwave nearing the Pacific Northwest late Monday with its main surface low near Haida Gwaii displaced southward of the remaining model consensus. However, the affects of these differences into Washington and Oregon are minimal. There are also some minor timing differences concerning the translation of a longwave trough into the center of the nation Tuesday into Wednesday with the 12Z NAM fastest and 00Z UKMET slowest, but a blend of the relatively minor differences is near the ensemble means providing a favorable middle ground. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Otto