WDPN33 PGTW 080300 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 14W (CHAN-HOM) WARNING NR 005// RMKS/ 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. SUMMARY: INITIAL POSITION: 32.4N 156.5E INITIAL INTENSITY: 35 KTS GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: 854 NM EAST OF YOKOSUKA, JAPAN MOVEMENT PAST 6 HOURS: WEST-NORTHWESTWARD AT 14 KTS SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHT: 22 FEET SATELLITE ANALYSIS, INITIAL POSITION AND INTENSITY DISCUSSION: ANIMATED MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY (MSI) DEPICTS TROPICAL STORM 14W WITH A WELL-DEFINED AND FULLY EXPOSED LOW-LEVEL CIRCULATION CENTER (LLCC) WITH FLARING CONVECTION CONFINED TO THE NORTHERN SEMICIRCLE. A 072118Z F16 SSMIS 91 GHZ MICROWAVE IMAGE REVEALED LOW-LEVEL CLOUD LINES TIGHTLY WRAPPING INTO THE ASSESSED CENTER LARGELY UNOBSCURED BY DEEP CONVECTION. THE SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY PLACED ALONG THE NORTHEASTERN EXTENT OF A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL LOW, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY CULPRIT FOR THE LACK OF CONVECTION IN THE SOUTHERN SEMICIRCLE. THE INITIAL POSITION IS PLACED WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE EXPOSED LLCC IN ANIMATED MSI. THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 35 KTS IS ASSESSED WITH MEDIUM CONFIDENCE BASED ON THE AGENCY DVORAK AND CIMSS INTENSITY ESTIMATES LISTED BELOW. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT 14W IS IN A MARGINAL ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY WEAK POLEWARD OUTFLOW, MODERATE SOUTHERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR, AND WARM (27-28 C) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES. INITIAL WIND RADII BASIS: OBJECTIVE BEST TRACK CURRENT STEERING MECHANISM: SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF A LOW TO MID-LEVEL SUBTROPICAL RIDGE (STR) POSITIONED TO THE NORTHEAST AGENCY DVORAK AND AUTOMATED FIXES: PGTW: T2.0 - 30 KTS RJTD: T1.5 - 25 KTS RCTP: T2.0 - 30 KTS CIMSS ADT: 35 KTS AT 080010Z CIMSS AIDT: 34 KTS AT 080010Z CIMSS D-MINT: 32 KTS AT 082302Z CIMSS D-PRINT: 32 KTS AT 080010Z FORECASTER ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT ENVIRONMENT: MARGINAL VWS: 15-20 KTS SST: 27-28 CELSIUS OUTFLOW: WEAK POLEWARD OTHER FACTORS: SIGNIFICANT DRY AIR ENTRAINMENT FROM THE SOUTH ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE: INITIAL POSITION: HIGH 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 14W IS FORECAST TO TRACK WEST-NORTHWESTWARD, ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN PERIPHERY OF THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH TAU 24. NEAR TAU 24, A STRONG UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO BREAK DOWN THE RIDGE AND PUSH IT EASTWARD. THIS WILL CAUSE 14W TO BE PLACED WITHIN A WEAKER STEERING ENVIRONMENT WHICH WILL CAUSE TRACK SPEEDS TO SLOW DOWN WITH A NORTHWESTWARD TRAJECTORY. AROUND TAU 48, THE STEERING PATTERN WILL BECOME MORE DEFINED AS THE TROUGH PROPAGATES AWAY FROM THE SYSTEM AND RIDGING BUILDS IN TO THE NORTH. AS A RESULT, TRACK SPEEDS WILL ACCELERATE AND THE TRAJECTORY WILL TURN MORE WESTWARD AS 14W HEADS TOWARD NORTHERN HONSHU. LANDFALL IS CURRENTLY FORECAST TO OCCUR JUST AFTER TAU 72 NEAR SENDAI. THE VORTEX WILL THEN EMERGE WITHIN THE SEA OF JAPAN AROUND TAU 84 AS IT TRAVERSES WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD TOWARD THE KOREAN PENINSULA. THE SYSTEM ISFORECAST TO BEGIN SUBTROPICAL TRANSITION AT TAU 96 WITH COMPLETION BY TAU 120 AS A STRONG UPPER- LEVEL LOW ANCHORS ITSELF OVER HONSHU, INDUCING VERY HIGH NORTHERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR OVER 14W, LIKELY CAUSING IT TO SHALLOW OUT AND DECOUPLE. IN TERMS OF INTENSITY, 14W IS FORECAST TO STEADILY INTENSIFY OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS THE WIND FIELD BECOMES MORE SYMMETRIC AND OUTFLOW IMPROVES. AFTER TAU 48, SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO DROP, CAUSING 14W TO MAINTAIN AN INTENSITY OF ABOUT 50 KTS AS IT APPROACHES THE COAST. AFTER MAKING LANDFALL, TERRAIN INTERACTION AND SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING NORTHERLY VERTICAL WIND SHEAR WILL CAUSE 14W TO WEAKEN AS IT TRAVERSES THROUGH THE SEA OF JAPAN. MODEL DISCUSSION: NUMERICAL MODEL TRACK GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE FORECAST PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GALWEM, WHICH TRACKS THE VORTEX SIGNIFICANTLY FURTHER POLEWARD THAN THE REMAINDER OF GUIDANCE. DISCOUNTING GALWEM, THE CROSS-TRACK SPREAD AT TAU 72 IS ABOUT 120 NM AT TAU 72 WHICH IS MAINTAINED THROUGH TAU 120. THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE MODIFIED CONSENSUS WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE THROUGH TAU 72 AND MEDIUM CONFIDENCE THEREAFTER. INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS IN MODERATE AGREEMENT ON STEADY INTENSIFICATION THROUGH TAU 48 FOLLOWED BY A STEADY INTENSITY THROUGH TAU 72 FOLLOWED BY WEAKENING THROUGH TAU 120. PEAK INTENSITIES RANGE FROM 45 KTS TO 60 KTS AT TAU 60-72. THE JTWC INTENSITY FORECAST IS PLACED CLOSE TO THE MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH OVERALL MEDIUM CONFIDENCE. FORECAST CONFIDENCE: TRACK 00-72 HR: HIGH TRACK 72-120 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 00-72 HR: MEDIUM INTENSITY 72-120 HR: MEDIUM// NNNN