Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1236 PM EDT Sun Mar 10 2019 Valid Mar 10/1200 UTC thru Mar 14/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z Model Evaluation Including Initial Preferences and Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Positively tilted shortwave trough moving east into Manitoba and Ontario into Monday morning... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend Confidence: Slightly above average Only minor timing/depth differences remain with this system. The 10/12Z NCEP runs and the 10/00Z ECMWF still had the support of the latest ensemble means...but were faster than the 10/00Z UKMET/CMC. A general model blend should handle these differences adequately. ...Surface low tracking north of the Great Lakes this evening ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend Confidence: Slightly above average Differences with this system are small enough such that a general model blend can be used. ...Large closed low forming just offshore of California Sunday night and tracking through Arizona and New Mexico Tuesday/Tuesday night... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: 10/12Z GFS, 10/00Z ECMWF blend Confidence: Average The model agreement is pretty good through the Day 2 forecast period with respect to the track of the closed low. However, spread opens up towards the end of Day 3 as the mid-level center makes a curve towards the north/northeast and takes on a negative tilt. The 10/12Z NCEP guidance was close to the solutions they offered in previous runs, so the Canadian remained on the slower side of the guidance. The 10/00Z UKMET was more aggressive in lifting the center northeast into Kansas...which seems a bit too fast. So will recommend the 10/12Z GFS and 10/00Z ECMWF...especially given their proximity to the ensemble mean. ...Progressive upper trough approaching the Pacific Northwest Tuesday morning... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend Confidence: Average The 10/00Z CMC was slower to bring a surface low to the coast of British Columbia on Monday, much like the its previous couple of runs, but sensible weather impacts are north of the border. Otherwise, the deterministic and ensemble guidance shows good agreement. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Bann