Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 229 AM EDT Mon Sep 09 2019 Valid Sep 09/0000 UTC thru Sep 12/1200 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMNFD) for the status of the upper air ingest... 00Z Model Evaluation with Preferences and Forecast Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Overall Pattern Across the CONUS... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Non-NAM Blend; more weight on 00Z ECMWF, UKMET Less weight on the 00Z GFS Confidence: Average ---06Z UPDATE--- No change to the preliminary preference. The 00Z ECMWF, UKMET and CMC remain clustered with a slower trough progression into the northern Plains, and a stronger downstream ridge. The 00Z GFS continues to have notable differences, with the 00Z GEFS mean much closer to the other global models. ---PREVIOUS DISCUSSION--- Models very consistently show an amplification of the synoptic pattern over the next couple days, with a trough in the western U.S. and a ridge in the East, with zonal flow through the Great Lakes and Northeast. Differences begin to emerge with the trough as it pushes from the Intermountain West into the Northern Plains on Wednesday and Wednesday Night. The 00Z NAM was excluded from the preference, as it has lower heights in the base of the trough as it moves through the West, and this eventually leads to a stronger and slower mid-upper level low by mid-week. This does not have much ensemble support. Otherwise, deterministic models show some spread with the timing and sharpness of the trough (amplification of upstream and downstream ridges), but isoheights aloft are within the ensemble envelope. By Thursday morning (12.12Z), an even blend of the deterministic models seems somewhat under-dispersive. There are numerous ensemble members (ECMWF and NAEFS) that have a slower trough progression and a more amplified downstream ridge over Manitoba and western Ontario. The 12Z and 18Z GEFS ensemble mean is considerably different from the operational 00Z GFS. Because of this, the preference is for a non-NAM blend overall that places greater weight on the 12Z ECMWF and UKMET, as they are more representative of the ensemble means. Model trends at www.wpc.noaa.gov/html/model2.html 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml Lamers