WDPN32 PGTW 290300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 21W (ETAU) WARNING NR 009// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 26.4N 165.8E INITIAL INTENSITY: 35 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 428 NM NORTH OF WAKE ISLAND MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTHWARD AT 05 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 20 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS TROPICAL STORM (TS) 21W (ETAU) AS A HIGHLY SHEARED AND VERY ELONGATED FULLY EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC). THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OF 21W IS BEING PULLED INTO TYPHOON (TY) 20W TO ITS SOUTH, WHILE THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE IS BEING STRETCHED BY THE MASS OF DEEP CONVECTION DISPLACED TO THE NORTHEAST. THE 282224Z PARTIAL ASCAT PASS REVEALS A HIGHLY ASYMMETRIC WINDFIELD, IN TERMS OF BOTH WIND SPEED AND SHAPE. THE PASS REVEALED WEAK (5-10 KTS) WINDS ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN QUADRANT AND COMPETING WIND DIRECTIONS SPLIT BETWEEN 20W AND 21W. THE HIGHEST WIND SPEEDS ARE LOCALIZED TO THE NORTHEASTERN QUADRANT AND EXCLUSIVE TO UNDER THE CONVECTION. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS REVEALS A MARGINAL ENVIRONMENT, CHARACTERIZED BY VERY HIGH (35-40 KTS) VERTICAL WIND SHEAR AND MARGINAL OCEAN HEAT CONTENT, OFFSET SLIGHTLY BY WARM (27-28 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES (SST) AND GOOD POLEWARD OUTFLOW. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE FULLY EXPOSED LLCC IN ANIMATED MSI. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 35 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE 282224Z PARTIAL ASCAT PASS. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: ADJUSTED WIND RADII USING THE 282224Z PARTIAL ASCAT PASS CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: THE WESTERN PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) POSITIONED TO THE EAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.0 - 30 KTS RJTD: T2.5 - 35 KTS RCTP: T2.5 - 35 KTS KNES: T2.0 - 30 KTS PHFO: T3.0 - 45 KTS CIMSS ADT: 34 KTS AT 290140Z CIMSS AIDT: 33 KTS AT 290140Z CIMSS D-MINT: 39 KTS AT 282211Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 32 KTS AT 290110Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 35-40 KTS SST: 27-28 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE POLEWARD ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: HIGH INITIAL WIND RADII: HIGH 3. FORECAST REASONING. SIGNIFICANT FORECAST CHANGES: THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FROM THE PREVIOUS WARNING. FORECAST DISCUSSION: TS 21W IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TRACKING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS WHILE IT REMAINS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE STEERING STR CENTERED TO ITS EAST. AFTER ABOUT TAU 12, 21W IS EXPECTED TO CURVE NORTH-NORTHEASTWARD AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH BREAKS DOWN THE STEERING RIDGE. ADDITIONALLY, 21W HAS BEGUN INTERACTING WITH TY 20W, WHICH WILL FURTHER REINFORCE THE NORTHEASTWARD TRACK -- AND POTENTIALLY EXPEDITE THE NORTHEASTWARD CURVE -- THROUGH TAU 60. INTERACTION WITH TY 20W MAY RESULT IN STORM MOTION NOT REFLECTED IN THE OFFICIAL FORECAST, AS THE DEGREE OF INTERACTION IS STILL UNCERTAIN. TS 21W IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN SUBTROPICAL TRANSITION (STT) AROUND TAU 48 AND COMPLETE TRANSITION NO LATER THAN TAU 60. BY TAU 60, 21W IS FORECAST TO HAVE CROSSED THE 26C ISOTHERM AND BE EMBEDDED UNDER THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH. REGARDING INTENSITY, MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT INTENSITY THROUGH TAU 12, PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY WARM SST AND GOOD POLEWARD OUTFLOW. AFTER TAU 12, DRY AIR, HIGH SHEAR, AND QUICKLY LOWERING OCEAN HEAT CONTENT WILL CAUSE 21W TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. MODEL DISCUSSION: DETERMINISTIC MODEL GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH TAU 12, BUT QUICKLY SPREADS THEREAFTER AS PROXIMITY TO 20W DECREASES AND THE STORMS HAVE GREATER INFLUENCE ON ONE ANOTHER. MODEL GUIDANCE IS VERY POOR AFTER TAU 24. THE DEGREE OF UNCERTAINTY IN BINARY INTERACTION IS MORE SIGNIFICANT FOR 21W SINCE IT IS FORECAST TO BE THE WEAKER STORM AND THEREFORE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFLUENCE BY 20W. AS A RESULT, THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS WITH VERY LOW CONFIDENCE. RELIABLE INTENSITY AIDS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT IN A GRADUAL WEAKENING THROUGH TAU 60. AN EMERGING POSSIBILITY WITHIN MODEL GUIDANCE IS THAT 21W WILL BE FORCIBLY DISSIPATED BY 20W MUCH EARLIER THAN TAU 60, FURTHER DEGRADING THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS ALIGNED WITH THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS, HAFS-A, AND EXPERIMENTAL GOOGLE DEEPMIND WITH LOW CONFIDENCE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: LOW INTENSITY 00-72 HR: LOW// NNNN