WDPN31 PGTW 032100 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 22W (KROVANH) WARNING NR 011// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 29.0N 128.2E INITIAL INTENSITY: 40 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 151 NM NORTH OF KADENA AB MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT 12 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 20 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED ENHANCED INFRARED (EIR) SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS A STILL EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) MOVING NORTHWESTWARD INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA. DEEP CONVECTION HAS PERSISTED EAST OF THE LLCC, SIGNIFICANTLY DISPLACED DUE TO INCREASING WESTERLY VERTICAL SHEAR OF 25-30 KT. MODERATE UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW EASTWARD AND TURNING EQUATORWARD IS OBSERVED. A DEEP-LAYER DRY AIRMASS CONTINUES TO ENVELOPE THE WESTERN SEMICIRCLE. SURFACE SUSTAINED WIND OBSERVATIONS FROM THE RYUKYU ISLANDS HAVE OCCASIONALLY SPIKED INTO THE 30-35 KT RANGE IN RECENT HOURS. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 22W IS HELD AT 40 KT BASED ON A BLEND OF SURFACE OBSERVATIONS, OBJECTIVE SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES, AND PERSISTENCE OF THE SATELLITE PRESENTATION RELATIVE TO THE PAST 12 HOURS. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: SUBTROPICAL RIDGE TO THE EAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.5 - 35 KTS RJTD: T2.0 - 30 KTS RCTP: T2.5 - 35 KTS KNES: T2.0 - 30 KTS CIMSS SATCON: 36 KTS AT 031638Z CIMSS ADT: 41 KTS AT 031740Z CIMSS AIDT: 37 KTS AT 031740Z CIMSS D-MINT: 34 KTS AT 031724Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 38 KTS AT 031740Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 25-30 KTS SST: 29-30 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE EASTWARD OTHER FACTORS: DEEP-LAYER DRY AIR MASS IN THE WESTERN SEMICIRCLE ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH INITIAL INTENSITY: MEDIUM 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 STORM 22W (KROVANH) CONTINUES TO TRACK NORTHWESTWARD INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA. THE MOST RECENT FEW HOURS OF MOTION SUGGEST THAT THE ANTICIPATED SLOWING PHASE HAS BEGUN, WHICH WILL CULMINATE IN A NEAR-STALL AND REVERSAL OF THE TRACK MOTION OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. LOW- TO MID-LEVEL RIDGING BUILDING INTO THE YELLOW SEA IS FORECAST TO TURN KROVANH SOUTHWARD AND THEN SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD OKINAWA, PASSING BY THE ISLAND IN AROUND 48 HOURS. THE SLOW COUNTERCLOCKWISE LOOP IS THEN EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AS THE MONSOON TROUGH LIFTS NORTHWARD AND CREATES A LARGE-SCALE CYCLONIC CAULDRON SOUTH OF JAPAN. BEYOND 48 HOURS, DYNAMIC MODEL GUIDANCE GENERALLY AGREES THAT 22W WILL GRADUALLY CURVE EASTWARD AND THEN NORTHEASTWARD IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH TO THE NORTH OVER THE KOREAN PENINSULA IN 72 HOURS, ULTIMATELY APPROACHING MAINLAND JAPAN AT TAU 120. REGARDING THE INTENSITY FORECAST, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ARE CURRENTLY BECOMING MORE HOSTILE AS 22W ENCOUNTERS STRONGER WESTERLY SHEAR IN THE EAST CHINA SEA, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO DEGRADE THE STORM'S STRUCTURE IN THE NEAR-TERM. A BELT OF COLD ADVECTION SETTING UP BETWEEN KOREA AND JAPAN IS FORECAST TO SUSTAIN GALES ON THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE CIRCULATION, EVENTUALLY WRAPPING INTO THE WESTERN SEMICIRCLE AS THE STORM TURNS SOUTHWARD. AS 22W PASSES OKINAWA IN ABOUT 48 HOURS, THE JTWC FORECAST NOW DIPS BELOW TROPICAL STORM FORCE, AS SIGNIFICANT STIRRING OF THE MID-LATITUDE AIR MASS INTO THE STORM ENVIRONMENT APPEARS LIKELY TO MUTE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, AND DYNAMICAL MODELS AGREE ON BROADENING AND WEAKENING OF THE CIRCULATION. DURING KROVANH'S REACCELERATION NORTHEASTWARD AT THE END OF THE FORECAST, SOME REINTENSIFICATION IS POSSIBLE SHOULD A WELL-DEFINED CIRCULATION PERSIST AND REACQUIRE DEEP CONVECTION. WHILE SOME MODELS LIKE HAFS-A DEPICT THIS SCENARIO, OTHERS DEPICT THE POSSIBILITY THAT 22W WASHES OUT INTO A BROADER MONSOON DEPRESSION AND FAILS TO REINTENSIFY. THE JTWC FORECAST CURRENTLY REPRESENTS A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THESE TWO SCENARIOS. MODEL DISCUSSION: THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST FOLLOWS A BLEND OF PHYSICS-BASED AND AI-BASED MODEL AIDS, WITH SPREAD NOTICEABLY SMALLER THAN YESTERDAY, LENDING MEDIUM CONFIDENCE TO THE TRACK FORECAST. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS, PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN