WDPN34 PGTW 102100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL DEPRESSION 15W (FIFTEEN) WARNING NR 004// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 27.5N 160.2E INITIAL INTENSITY: 25 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 605 NM NORTHWEST OF WAKE ISLAND MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WESTWARD AT 04 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 11 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A FULLY EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER WITH CONVECTION HEAVILY SHEARED TO ITS EAST. THE DECOUPLING OF THE LOW AND MID-LEVEL CIRCULATIONS OCCURRED RAPIDLY OVER THE PAST 6 HOURS AND HAS RENDERED THE REMAINING LLCC OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION 15W QUASI-STATIONARY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS. A 101521Z AMSR-2 WIND SPEED PRODUCT CONFIRMED WIND SPEEDS OF 25 KTS OR LESS SURROUNDING THE EXPOSED LLCC. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE FULLY EXPOSED LLCC IN THE EIR IMAGERY. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 25 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE AMSR-2 WIND SPEED PRODUCT, DESPITE HIGHER AGENCY DVORAK AND CIMSS OBJECTIVE INTENSITY ESTIMATES. THE ENVIRONMENT IS CHARACTERIZED AS UNFAVORABLE, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE HIGH (25-30 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR (VWS) COUPLED WITH VERY LITTLE REMAINING OUTFLOW ALOFT. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: SCATTEROMETER DATA CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: EASTERN PERIPHERY OF A LARGE, LOW-LEVEL CYCLONIC GYRE CENTERED TO THE WEST. AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.0 - 30 KTS RJTD: T1.0 - 25 KTS KNES: T2.5 - 35 KTS PHFO: T2.0 - 30 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 36 KTS AT 101700Z CIMSS ADT: 35 KTS AT 101800Z CIMSS AIDT: 29 KTS AT 101800Z CIMSS D-MINT: 31 KTS AT 101547Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 31 KTS AT 101800Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: UNFAVORABLE VWS: 25-30 KTS SST: 28-29 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: WEAK EASTWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH 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: TROPICAL DEPRESSION (TD) 15W IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON A PREDOMINANTLY NORTHWARD TRAJECTORY OVER THE NEXT 12 HOURS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE CYCLONIC LOW-LEVEL FLOW OF THE BROAD GYRE CIRCULATION SITUATED TO THE WEST. AFTER TAU 12, THE REMAINING SHALLOW VORTEX APPROACHES EASTERLY LOW-LEVEL FLOW AND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ON A NORTHWESTWARD TRAJECTORY. THERE IS A BRIEF PERIOD NEAR TAU 24 WHERE TD 15W MAY BE INFLUENCED BY TROPICAL STORM (TS) 13W (PEILOU) AS BOTH SYSTEMS DISSIPATE IN THE HIGH SHEAR ENVIRONMENT. NOW THAT THE LLCC HAS FULLY DECOUPLED FROM THE MID-LEVELS, THE INTENSITY IS FORECAST TO STEADILY DECREASE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL BE HOSTILE TO ANY SUSTAINED CONVECTION. FULL DISSIPATION OVER WATER IS EXPECTED BY TAU 24. MODEL DISCUSSION: MODEL TRACK GUIDANCE HAS A FAIRLY WIDE SPREAD OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS BUT OVERALL THEY AGREE ON A PRIMARILY NORTHWARD COMPONENT FOLLOWED BY A SHIFT NORTHWESTWARD. THE JTWC TRACK IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE INTENSITY GUIDANCE REMAINS ON THE HIGHER END, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAFS-A WHICH DEPICTS A MORE REALISTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SHALLOW VORTEX. THEREFORE, THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSER TO THE HAFS-A SOLUTION WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN