Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 343 AM EDT Mon Jul 08 2019 Valid Jul 08/0000 UTC thru Jul 11/1200 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 00Z Model Evaluation Including Preference and Forecast Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend; higher weight toward ECMWF/UKMET on Day 2/3 northern tier U.S. Confidence: Slightly above average 07Z update: With the rest of the 00Z guidance now available, it looks like the NAM and GFS are too progressive/strong with the northern tier shortwave on Day 2/3. The ECMWF/UKMET are more favored on those days across that region. Otherwise, the rest of the guidance is in reasonably good agreement such that a general model blend can be applied. ---previous discussion--- Fairly typical summertime pattern expected over the next 3 days across the CONUS with a relatively active northern stream along the US/Canadian border while weakness in the ridge and a residual surface low meanders down into the Gulf. Building heights are expected by the end of the forecast period across the southwest / Four Corners region while the Pacific Northwest sees another shortwave by Thursday. Overall, the latest guidance is in decent agreement with the large scale setup and features. The two areas of concern where model differences were observed are across the northern tier of the US with respect to the stronger shortwave energy coming out into the Dakotas on Wednesday. The NAM again remains too strong with its 500 mb heights, closing off while the rest of the guidance remains neutral and open. As expected, the NAM surface low evolution is too strong and too far to the northwest compared to the rest of the deterministic and ensemble guidance. So for now, the NAM on Day 2/3 was discarded in this region of the CONUS. Elsewhere, a general model blend can be applied for the mass fields. How a weak remnant trough over the southeast US evolves in the coming days remains uncertain but most of the guidance takes the low toward the central Gulf Coast by Day 3 (with the bigger uncertainty in the medium range...). So for now, will lean on the consensus approach given the relatively good agreement in the 500 mb heights and surface fields. Model trends at www.wpc.noaa.gov/html/model2.html 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Taylor