Model Diagnostic Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 240 PM EDT Fri Jul 17 2020 Valid Jul 17/1200 UTC thru Jul 21/0000 UTC ...See NOUS42 KWNO (ADMSDM) for the status of the upper air ingest... 12Z Model Evaluation Including Final Preferences and Forecast Confidence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...Short wave trough crossing the northern Plains tonight to Lake Superior with an accompanying surface cold front crossing the northern Plains across the upper MS Valley and Great lakes... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: Blend of UKMET/ECMWF/Canadian Confidence: Slightly above average The models are forecasting a 850-700 mb shortwave and low level cold front to cross the Northern Plains tonight and Upper MS Valley Sat, followed by the upper Great Lakes and adjacent Canada Sat night-Sunday. The models/ensemble mean are in good overall agreement. The 12z NAM show convective/grid scale feedback tonight in eastern ND and northwest MN, lowering sfc pressures as a result. With good clustering of the 00z ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian, a blend of these models is preferred. ...Long wave trough crossing the Pacific Northwest today, moving into south central Canada by Sat, then clipping the Northern Plains into Upper Great Lakes by Sun... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preference: General model blend Confidence: Average A mid level shortwave crossing the northern Rockies tonight then progresses across the northern Plains Sat and upper MS Valley Sat night, and upper Great Lakes Sun. The NAM/ECMWF/UKMET cluster well, so a blend of these solutions should work well. The next potential wave comes out of the northern Rockies and northern Plains at the end of the weekend into early next week. The 12z NAM/GFS/00z-12 UKMET cluster well with the developing wave while the 00z-12z ECMWF have a lower amplitude solution. Given this is the mean multi-day position of the trough, I recommend giving less weighting to the operational ECMWF, and more to the 12z UKMET/12z NAM/12z GFS on Monday. The 12z Canadian has joined to preferred group with a higher amplitude 700 mb wave. Model trends at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/model2.shtml 500 mb forecasts at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/h5pref/h5pref.shtml This product will terminate August 15, 2020: www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf2/scn20-58pmdhmd_termination. pdf Petersen