WDPN32 PGTW 292100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 11W (SHANSHAN) WARNING NR 034// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 33.7N 131.1E INITIAL INTENSITY: 40 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 61 NM SOUTHWEST OF IWAKUNI, JAPAN MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT 03 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 13 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A SHALLOWING LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) WITH WARMING CLOUD TOPS RELATED TO THE WEAKENING THAT HAS OCCURRED OVER THE LAST TWELVE HOURS. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY REVEALS STRONG POLEWARD OUTFLOW FEEDING INTO AN UPPER-LEVEL JET TO THE NORTHEAST, WHICH INTRODUCES CLEAR DRY AIR IMPINGEMENT ON THE WESTERN PERIPHERY WHILE THE CORE APPEARS TO REMAIN MOIST. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON ANIMATED EIR AND RADAR IMAGERY REVEALING CONCENTRIC CLOUD BANDING DESPITE TOPOGRAPHIC EFFECTS ERODING THE TROPICAL STORM STRUCTURE WHILE OVER LAND. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 40 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE AGENCY AND OBJECTIVE FIXES LISTED BELOW. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: OBJECTIVE BEST TRACK CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: PINNED IN A COL REGION BETWEEN TWO COMPETING SUBTROPICAL RIDGES (STR) OF SIMILAR STRENGTH AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: NO CURRENT ESTIMATE RJTD: T3.0 - 45 KTS CIMSS ADT: 41 KTS AT 291930Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: UNFAVORABLE VWS: 5-10 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: STRONG POLEWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM INITIAL WIND RADII: LOW 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST IS EXPECTED TO TAKE A NORTHWARD TURN BETWEEN TAU 48 AND 72. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TROPICAL STORM (TS) 11W IS FORECAST TO TRACK EAST-NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS TOWARDS IWAKUNI WHILE CAPTURED WITHIN THE COL REGION. THE TWO RIDGES STALL BETWEEN TAU 12-24, RESULTING IN A QUASI-STATIONARY PERIOD BETWEEN TAU 24-48. THE MOTION DURING THAT TIME IS UNCERTAIN AND FORECAST WITH LOW CONFIDENCE, AND MINOR CHANGES WILL CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO EITHER REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN SHIKOKU DISTRICT OR TAKE TS 11W OUT OVER THE WARM WATERS (26-28C) OF KII-SUIDO. AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH PASSING OVER THE SEA OF JAPAN BETWEEN TAU 24-36 WILL DEGRADE THE STR TO THE EAST AND ALLOW THE TROPICAL STORM TO BE PICKED UP IN A MORE NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD DIRECTION AFTER TAU 48. THE TRACK INTENSITY IS CONFIDENT WITHIN THE FIRST 24 HOURS AS THE SYSTEM TRACKS BACK OVER LAND IN THE VICINITY OF IWAKUNI. BETWEEN TAU 24 AND 48, THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO WEAKEN DUE TO LAND INTERACTION, HOWEVER THE VARIABILITY IN THE TRACK FORECAST WHILE QUASI-STATIONARY MAY BRING THE SYSTEM OUT OVER WARMER WATERS AND MAY PROVIDE THE SYSTEM ENERGY TO MAINTAIN THE CIRCULATION AND INTENSITY LONGER THAN REFLECTED IN THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST. MODEL DISCUSSION: THE DETERMINISTIC MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT REGARDING THE GENERAL TRACK DIRECTION DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD, HOWEVER THERE ARE VARIED TRACK SPEED ACROSS THE FORECAST PERIOD LEADING TO A 400NM ALONG-TRACK SPREAD. THE SPREAD CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO DIFFERENT RATES OF WEAKENING REFLECTED ACROSS THE MODELS, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN TAU 24-48 WHEN VARIOUS MODELS EITHER TAKE THE SYSTEM OUT OVER WATER ALLOWING THE INTENSITY TO BE MAINTAINED OR WILL KEEP THE CIRCULATION OVER THE MOUNTAINOUS SHIKOKU RESULTING IN POTENTIALLY WEAKER DISSIPATION. THE ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE DEPICTS JUST AS VARIED SOLUTIONS IN BOTH ECENS AND GEFS, WITH ECENS SPECIFICALLY ALLOWING MORE TIME OVER WATER AND MAINTAINING AN INTENSITY ABOVE WARNING THRESHOLD FOR MUCH LONGER. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 0 - 72 HR: LOW INTENSITY 0 - 72 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN