WDPN31 PGTW 020300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 12W (KROSA) WARNING NR 038// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 36.4N 142.6E INITIAL INTENSITY: 55 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 115 NM EAST-NORTHEAST OF NARITA AIRPORT MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AT 14 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 26 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS A PARTIALLY OBSCURED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL STORM (TS) 12W (KROSA). THE INITIAL POSITION IS DETERMINED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE UTILIZING ANIMATED VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING SPIRAL BANDS OF DEEP CONVECTION INTERLACED WITH DRY AIR ENTRAINING INTO THE CORE OF THE VORTEX. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS ESTIMATED AT 55 KTS WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON AVAILABLE DVORAK AGENCY FIXES AND OBJECTIVE INTENSITY ESTIMATES LISTED BELOW. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT INDICATES MARGINAL CONDITIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITH BORDERLINE (26-27 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SST), LOW (5-10 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS), AND MODERATE POLEWARD OUTFLOW ALOFT, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY INCREASING DRY AIR INTRUSION INTO THE CIRCULATION. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: OBJECTIVE BEST TRACK CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: DEEP-LAYER SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) TO THE SOUTHEAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T3.5 - 55 KTS RJTD: T3.0 - 45 KTS RCTP: T3.0 - 45 KTS KNES: T3.0 - 45 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 51 KTS AT 020030Z CIMSS ADT: 34 KTS AT 020010Z CIMSS AIDT: 42 KTS AT 020010Z CIMSS D-MINT: 54 KTS AT 012353Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 48 KTS AT 020010Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 5-10 KTS SST: 26-27 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE POLEWARD OTHER FACTORS: DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT 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 12W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE MOVING EAST-NORTHEASTWARD UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A DEEP-LAYER STR CENTERED TO THE SOUTHEAST. THE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE KUROSHIO CURRENT, WITH MAJORITY OF THE WINDFIELD TOWARD THE POLEWARD SIDE. THEREFORE, THE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MAINTAIN INTENSITY DURING THE NEXT 12 HOURS, UTILIZING THE WARM WATER INFLUX. BEYOND TAU 12, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE WITH INCREASING VWS, DECREASING SST, AND PERSISTENT DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT, LEADING TO A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND. BY AROUND TAU 48, TS 12W IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN INTERACTION WITH A BAROCLINIC ZONE TO THE NORTH AND EVENTUALLY MERGE WITH A DEEP-LAYER WESTERLY FLOW, INITIATING EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION. INTENSITY IS FORECAST TO DECREASE TO 30 KTS BY TAU 72 AS THE EXTRATROPICAL TRANSITION COMPLETES BY OR PRIOR TO TAU 72. MODEL DISCUSSION: DETERMINISTIC TRACK MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWS GOOD CONSENSUS THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD, WITH A CROSS-TRACK SPREAD OF LESS THAN 100 NM AT TAU 72. ALONG-TRACK SPREAD REMAINS TIGHT FOR THE INITIAL 48 HOURS, WITH INCREASING UNCERTAINTY IN FORWARD SPEED THEREAFTER. INTENSITY MODEL GUIDANCE AGREES ON WEAKENING PAST TAU 12, HOWEVER, THE GFS MODEL STILL SUGGESTS SLIGHT INTENSIFICATION JUST BEFORE THEN. OTHER MODELS (COAMPS-TC, HAFS, AND STATISTICAL-DYNAMICAL SUITE) FORECAST GRADUAL WEAKENING BEGINNING IMMEDIATELY. JTWC OFFICIAL INTENSITY FORECAST IS ISSUED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE, PLACED ON THE HIGHER END OF THE MULTI-MODEL INTENSITY ENVELOPE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN