WDPN31 PGTW 190300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 09W (IN-FA) WARNING NR 012// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 24.0N 131.5E INITIAL INTENSITY: 50 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 251 NM SOUTHEAST OF KADENA AB MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT 07 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 22 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS TIGHTLY CURVED BANDING WRAPPING INTO AN INCREASINGLY WELL DEFINED LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC), WITH A BROAD SWATH OF DEEP CONVECTION ALONG ITS SOUTHEASTERN FLANK. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON A BLEND OF AVAILABLE FIXES, AND GENERALLY SUPPORTED BY AN 182148Z SSMIS PASS. THE INTENSITY WAS HELD AT 50 KNOTS, WITH AGENCY FIXES RANGING FROM T2.5 TO T3.5 (35 TO 55 KNOTS), WITH ADT AT 37 KNOTS. NO NEW SATCON IS AVAILABLE. THE RADIUS OF MAXIMUM WINDS HAS STEADILY DECREASED AS THE LLCC HAS CONSOLIDATED. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: DEEP LAYER STR TO THE NORTHEAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.5 - 35 KTS RJTD: T3.0 - 45 KTS KNES: T3.5 - 55 KTS CIMSS ADT: 37 KTS AT 182340Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: FAVORABLE VWS: 5-10 KTS SST: 28-29 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: STRONG EQUATORWARD OTHER FACTORS: MID-LEVEL MOISTURE IS IMPROVING ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: MEDIUM INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: LOW 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TS 09W (IN-FA) CONTINUES TO TRACK GENERALLY NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE STEERING STR, BUT IS STILL EXPECTED TO SHIFT TO A MORE WEST-NORTHWESTWARD TO WESTWARD TRACK OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS AS THE STR BEGINS TO RE-ORIENT, AFTER WHICH THE FORECAST CALLS FOR NEAR STEADY WESTWARD MOTION THROUGH TAU 72. AT THAT TIME, A WEAKNESS IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP IN THE STR, RESULTING IN A SLIGHT POLEWARD DEFLECTION AS IN-FA PASSES TAIWAN. THE FORECAST INTENSITY TREND IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE PRIOR FORECAST, AS CONSOLIDATION HAS TAKEN PLACES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS REMAIN FAVORABLE. INTENSITY GUIDANCE ALSO SUGGESTS THAT CONDITIONS ARE POTENTIALLY FAVORABLE FOR A RAPID INTENSIFICATION SCENARIO. THE PEAK INTENSITY WAS INCREASED SLIGHTLY TO 90 KNOTS AT TAU 72 AFTER WHICH DECLINING SST SHOULD START A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND. THE FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE PRIOR JTWC FORECAST AND THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL GUIDANCE IS IN MODERATELY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 72, AND CONSISTENTLY CALLS FOR THE WESTWARD TURN THAT HAS BEEN ANTICIPATED FOR THE PAST 12 HOURS. THE SPREAD INCREASES AFTER TAU 72 DEPENDING ON THE EXTENT OF THE WEAKNESS OF THE STR, WITH SOME MODELS SUGGESTING A MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE TURN TO THE NORTHWEST. THERE IS STILL A WIDE VARIATION IN THE INTENSITY MODEL GUIDANCE. THE FORECAST WAS INCREASED DUE TO RAPID INTENSIFICATION INDICATORS, BUT REMAINS WITHIN THE GPCE SPREAD. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: LOW INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: LOW INTENSITY 72-120 HR: LOW// NNNN