WDPN31 PGTW 062100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 03W (GUCHOL) WARNING NR 004// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 14.7N 134.2E INITIAL INTENSITY: 35 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 387 NM NORTHWEST OF YAP MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTHWESTWARD AT 06 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 15 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A SOMEWHAT ASYMMETRIC CIRCULATION WITH FLARING DEEP CONVECTIVE BANDS TO THE SOUTH WRAPPING UP INTO THE LOW LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC). THE MOST RECENT IMAGERY SHOWS SOME DEVELOPING HOT TOWERS MUCH CLOSER TO THE ASSESSED LLCC, WHICH ARE EXHIBITING SOME SIGNS OF CYCLONIC CURVATURE. EARLIER SCATTEROMETER DATA SHOWED THAT THE LLCC REMAINS ELONGATED ALONG THE EAST-WEST AXIS BUT THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SUGGESTS IT MAY BE SLOWLY CONSOLIDATING INTO A MORE DEFINED AND DISCRETE CIRCULATION. LATE RECEIPT OF A 061710Z AMSR2 89GHZ IMAGE SHOWED FRAGMENTED CONVECTIVE BANDS TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER, AND LOW LEVEL CLOUD BANDS TO THE NORTHWEST, ANALYSIS OF WHICH SUGGESTS THE INITIAL POSITION COULD BE SLIGHTLY FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE 18Z BEST TRACK POSITION. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE, AS ALL AGENCIES ARE IN AGREEMENT ON A T2.5 DVORAK CURRENT INTENSITY (CI), SUPPORTED BY THE ADT, SATCON AND THE CIMSS D-PRINT WHICH ARE ALSO ESTIMATING A 35 KNOT INTENSITY. THE OVERALL ENVIRONMENT IS FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT, WITH LOW VWS, WARM SSTS, AND HIGH OHC. OUTFLOW IS STRONGEST TO THE EAST, INTO A STRONG TUTT-CELL LOCATED AT ROUGHLY 19N 150E, WITH WEAKER OUTFLOW EXTENDING EQUATORWARD. THE SYSTEM IS TRAPPED BETWEEN A NEAR EQUATORIAL RIDGE (NER) SOUTH OF GUAM AND A NARROW EXTENSION OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) WHICH EXTENDS FROM TAIWAN NORTHEAST TO A RIDGE CENTER NEAR 30N 175W. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: STR EXTENSION TO THE NORTH WITH A PUSH FROM THE NER TO THE SOUTHEAST. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.5 - 35 KTS RJTD: T2.5 - 35 KTS KNES: T2.5 - 35 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 35 KTS AT 061631Z CIMSS ADT: 35 KTS AT 061730Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: FAVORABLE VWS: 5-10 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE POLEWARD AND EQUATORWARD OTHER FACTORS: OUTFLOW INTO A TUTT-CELL FAR TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST. ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: LOW INITIAL INTENSITY: HIGH INITIAL WIND RADII: MEDIUM 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: AS ALREADY NOTED IN THE BEST TRACK DATA, TS 03W LOOKS TO HAVE STARTED TO TURN ONTO A MORE WEST-NORTHWEST COURSE, AS THE EXTENSION OF THE STR THAT LIES TO THE NORTH EXERTS AN INCREASING INFLUENCE ON THE STEERING FLOW. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN THE STRENGTH OR PLACEMENT OF THIS RIDGE THROUGH THE NEXT 48 HOURS. THIS, COMBINED WITH THE GENERAL MOVEMENT OF THE NER TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST, WILL RESULT IN A WEST-NORTHWEST TRACK MOTION THROUGH THE FIRST 48 HOURS OF THE FORECAST. AROUND TAU 48, A MAJOR SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED JET MAX WILL PUSH OVER JAPAN AND BREAK THE STR TO THE NORTH, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY BUILDING A STR THAT DEVELOPS NEAR 160E. AS A RESULT, TS 03W WILL RAPIDLY TURN POLEWARD BY TAU 72, AND THEN ACCELERATE NORTHEASTWARD ALONG THE TIGHTENING GRADIENT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STR THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. IN TERMS OF INTENSITY, THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO QUICKLY CONSOLIDATE AND EMBARK ON A PERIOD OF NEAR-RAPID INTENSIFICATION THROUGH THE NEXT 48 HOURS, AS IT CONTINUES TO TAP INTO THE ROBUST OUTFLOW INTO THE TUTT CELL TO THE EAST AND TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE ZESTY OCEAN WATERS AND LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT. AFTER PEAKING NEAR 85 KNOTS AT TAU 48, A COMBINATION OF INCREASING NORTHWESTERLY SHEAR, COOLER SSTS AND A DECREASE IN OUTFLOW ALOFT, WILL COMBINE TO SLOWLY WEAKEN THE SYSTEM THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. MODEL DISCUSSION: DETERMINISTIC TRACK GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE OVERALL RECURVE SCENARIO, BUT SHOWS INCREASED UNCERTAINTY IN THE LATER FORECAST TAUS. THROUGH THE FIRST 48 HOURS, ALL CONSENSUS MEMBERS LIE WITHIN A TIGHTLY CONFINED ENVELOPE OF 70NM, LENDING HIGH CONFIDENCE TO THE FORECAST TRACK IN THIS TIMEFRAME. MODEL SPREAD INCREASES AFTER TAU 72 WITH JGSM MARKING THE WESTERN OUTLIER, WHILE THE GFS, NAVGEM AND COAMPS-TC MARKING THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE ENVELOPE. THE REMAINDER OF THE GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE EUROPEAN MODELS LIE CLOSE TO THE CONSENSUS MEAN. THE JTWC TRACK DEPARTS TO THE EAST OF THE MEAN AND CLOSELY TRACKS THE CONGLOMERATION OF THE US MODELS AFTER TAU 72, THOUGH CONFIDENCE REMAINS MEDIUM DUE TO THE LARGE AND INCREASING MODEL SPREAD. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE INTENSIFICATION TREND, AND SEVERAL RAPID INTENSIFICATION (RI) AIDS HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED. THE JTWC FORECAST FOLLOWS THE RIPA AID THROUGH TAU 48, THEN GENERALLY LIES ABOUT FIVE KNOTS HIGHER THAN THE CONSENSUS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST. UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDING THE TIMING OF THE LLCC CONSOLIDATION AND SUBSEQUENT INTENSIFICATION RESULTS IN MEDIUM CONFIDENCE IN THE INTENSITY FORECAST. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: HIGH TRACK 72-120 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN