216  
FXHW01 KWNH 160800  
PMDHI  
 
HAWAII EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
300 AM EST THU FEB 16 2023  
 
VALID 00Z FRI FEB 17 2023 - 00Z FRI FEB 24 2023  
 
...HEAVY RAINFALL/FLOODING THREAT ESPECIALLY DURING  
THURSDAY-SATURDAY WITHIN A LONGER TERM WET PATTERN...  
 
GUIDANCE IS AGREEABLE AND CONSISTENT WITH THE SHORT-TERM PATTERN  
EVOLUTION THAT WILL FAVOR A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING  
POTENTIAL THURSDAY-SATURDAY. MODELS/ENSEMBLES SUGGEST THE OVERALL  
PATTERN MAY SUPPORT A CONTINUED THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WELL  
INTO NEXT WEEK BUT WITH ENOUGH SPREAD AND RUN-TO-RUN VARIABILITY  
FOR EXACT POSITION OF THE SUPPORTING SOUTHEAST-NORTHWEST MOISTURE  
BAND TO TEMPER CONFIDENCE IN SPECIFICS FROM SUNDAY ONWARD.  
 
THE FORECAST THROUGH SATURDAY HAS HELD UP WELL OVER THE PAST DAY  
OR SO WITH RESPECT TO MODEL CLUSTERING AND CONTINUITY. EXPECT THE  
UPPER LOW INITIALLY JUST WEST OF THE STATE AS OF THURSDAY TO DRIFT  
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST THEREAFTER AND EVENTUALLY SHEAR OUT. THE  
DEEP-LAYER SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW BETWEEN THE UPPER LOW AND RIDGE OFF  
TO THE NORTHEAST WILL BRING UP ABUNDANT MOISTURE INTO THE ISLANDS,  
WITH MODELS CONTINUING TO HIGHLIGHT FRIDAY AS THE MOST LIKELY DAY  
WHEN EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN MAY FALL OVER SOUTHEASTWARD-FACING  
TERRAIN OF THE BIG ISLAND. IN THE THURSDAY-FRIDAY PERIOD THE GFS  
CONTINUES TO SHOW MORE TENDENCY THAN OTHER GUIDANCE FOR A SURFACE  
WAVE TO BRUSH THE STATE, THOUGH NOW THE GEFS MEAN IS HINTING AT  
SUCH A FEATURE AS WELL. FOR NOW CONTINUE TO HAVE FAIRLY LOW  
CONFIDENCE IN THAT ASPECT OF THE GFS UNTIL MORE GUIDANCE TRENDS IN  
THAT DIRECTION.  
 
FROM SUNDAY THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY, MODELS AND ENSEMBLES MAINTAIN A  
DECENT SIGNAL FOR SHORTWAVE ENERGY APPROACHING FROM THE WEST TO  
FORM ANOTHER TROUGH/UPPER LOW, WHICH COMBINED WITH THE PERSISTENT  
UPPER RIDGE NORTHEAST OF THE STATE, WOULD MAINTAIN THE  
SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW AND SOUTHEAST-NORTHWEST ORIENTED AXIS OF  
ENHANCED MOISTURE. IN A CONTINUATION OF WHAT HAD BEEN A MULTI-DAY  
ISSUE IN THE GFS FOR THE FIRST UPPER LOW, LATEST GFS RUNS SHOW A  
DEEPER/FARTHER EASTWARD EXTENT OF THE SECOND FEATURE RELATIVE TO  
MOST OTHER GUIDANCE (NOW INCLUDING THE GEFS MEAN, WHICH AT TIMES  
HAD LEANED SOMEWHAT CLOSER TO THE GFS). AS A RESULT THE GFS NOW  
IS A MORE PRONOUNCED EXTREME IN KEEPING THE MOISTURE BAND OVER THE  
ISLANDS ON AVERAGE THROUGH THIS TIME FRAME, AS OPPOSED TO THE BAND  
SHIFTING SOMEWHAT WESTWARD. THUS PREFER AN AVERAGE OF NON-GFS  
MODELS AND THE GEFS/ECMWF MEANS. THIS WOULD SUPPORT A GRADUAL  
LOWERING OF RAINFALL TOTALS WITH TIME, BUT WITH ENOUGH MOISTURE  
STILL PRESENT TO PRODUCE A HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT OVER SOME  
LOCATIONS (ESPECIALLY THE WESTERN ISLANDS AND BIG ISLAND) INTO  
MIDWEEK.  
 
RAUSCH  
 
 
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