WDPN31 PGTW 040300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 22W (KROVANH) WARNING NR 012// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 29.5N 128.0E INITIAL INTENSITY: 40 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 180 NM NORTH OF KADENA AB MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AT 05 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 20 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS A STILL EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) WITH DEEP CONVECTION DISPLACED TO THE EAST BY STRONG WESTERLY VERTICAL SHEAR. THE ENTIRE WESTERN SEMICIRCLE AND MOST OF THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE ARE DEVOID OF DEEP CONVECTION. MODERATE UPPER-LEVEL OUTFLOW IS OBSERVED TOWARDS THE EAST, BEGINNING TO TAP INTO THE SUBTROPICAL JET OVER JAPAN AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH CROSSES THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THE INITIAL INTENSITY IS HELD AT 40 KT, A LITTLE ABOVE AGENCY DVORAK AND OBJECTIVE SATELLITE-BASED INTENSITY ESTIMATES DUE TO GRADIENT-ENHANCED FLOW ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LLCC AND ELEVATED WIND OBSERVATIONS AS HIGH AS 46 KT FROM SHIPS IN THE VICINITY OF THE RYUKYU ISLANDS. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: PERSISTENCE CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: SUBTROPICAL RIDGE EAST OF JAPAN 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: 40 KTS AT 032135Z CIMSS ADT: 41 KTS AT 032340Z CIMSS AIDT: 37 KTS AT 032340Z CIMSS D-MINT: 34 KTS AT 032134Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 35 KTS AT 032340Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 25-30 KTS SST: 28-29 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: MODERATE EASTWARD 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 SLOW ITS SPEED OF ADVANCE TOWARD THE NORTHWEST AND IS NEARING ITS ANTICIPATED PIVOT BACK SOUTHWARD. NORTHEASTERLY COLD ADVECTION NOW OCCURRING BETWEEN KOREA AND JAPAN COUPLED WITH A BUILDING RIDGE OVER NORTHEASTERN CHINA WILL BLOCK THE STORM AND FORCE THIS ABRUPT TRACK CHANGE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS, PUSHING 22W NEAR OKINAWA IN 36 TO 48 HOURS. DURING THIS PERIOD, ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WILL BE UNFAVORABLE FOR INTENSIFICATION, WITH STRONG WESTERLY SHEAR AND ENTRAINMENT OF MID-LATITUDE AIR LIKELY LIMITING DEEP CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY NEAR THE STORM CENTER. HOWEVER, GALES ARE LIKELY TO BE MAINTAINED FOR ABOUT 36 HOURS DUE TO GRADIENT-ENHANCED FLOW AROUND THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN SIDES OF THE CIRCULATION. THEREAFTER, WEAKENING BELOW GALE FORCE IS ANTICIPATED AS 22W RETREATS SOUTHEASTWARD AWAY FROM THE COLD ADVECTION BELT PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTING STRONGER WINDS. AFTER 48 HOURS, DYNAMICAL MODEL GUIDANCE HAS COME INTO AGREEMENT ON A GRADUAL TURN NORTHEASTWARD TOWARD HONSHU AS AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH DIGS INTO THE EAST CHINA SEA. HOWEVER, GUIDANCE HAS BEGUN TO DIVERGE SIGNIFICANTLY REGARDING THE PACE OF THIS NORTHEASTWARD MOVE, WITH ALONG-TRACK SPREAD EXCEEDING 500 NM AT TAU 120 THIS CYCLE. THIS UNCERTAINTY IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY RELATED TO KROVANH'S INTERACTION WITH THE BROAD MONSOON TROUGH AS IT LIFTS NORTHWARD, LIKELY WITH INVEST 97W EMBEDDED WITHIN IT. THIS ALSO CONTRIBUTES UNCERTAINTY TO THE INTENSITY FORECAST BEYOND TAU 72, AS MODELS DISAGREE REGARDING THE BROADNESS OF 22W AND HOW MUCH MID-LATITUDE AIR ULTIMATELY GETS STIRRED INTO THE LARGE CIRCULATING CAULDRON OF THE MONSOON TROUGH, SUPPRESSING CONVECTION. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST SHOWS NEAR-STEADY INTENSITY OF 30 TO 35 KT FROM TAU 48 THROUGH 120, WITH SOME MODELS INDICATING A POSSIBILITY OF MILD RESTRENGTHENING ON APPROACH TO JAPAN. MODEL DISCUSSION: THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO A BLEND OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST, THE PHYSICS-BASED MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS, AND THE AI-BASED MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS. THIS FORECAST IS A BIT FASTER BEYOND TAU 48 THAN THE PREVIOUS FORECAST, FOLLOWING TODAY'S TREND IN MODEL GUIDANCE, AND HAS LOWER CONFIDENCE THAN AVERAGE GIVEN THE IMMENSE ALONG-TRACK SPREAD. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS THROUGHOUT AND IS PLACED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: MEDIUM TRACK 72-120 HR: LOW INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN