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Prognostic Discussion for Monthly Outlook NWS Climate Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EDT Fri May 31 2024 30-DAY OUTLOOK DISCUSSION FOR JUNE 2024 The updated June temperature and precipitation outlooks primarily utilized model guidance across multiple forecast time scales that included short-, extended- and subseasonal-range information. The MJO remained disorganized and was not a substantial player in the June updated outlook. Coastal SSTs and land surface anomalies continued to be considered in preparation of the outlook. The updated June temperature outlook maintained much of the forecast from the middle of the month outlook. An extensive area of favored above-normal temperatures remains highlighted along the southern tier of the U.S., for the central and southern Plains, the Southwest, much of the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. Model guidance across time scales supports increasing probabilities of monthly mean temperatures for much of the western CONUS. Short- and subseasonal-range model guidance supports increasing forecast coverage for above-normal temperatures to include the northern Plains and portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast. There will be periods of troughing over the first couple of weeks of June in the east-central U.S. most likely resulting in below-normal temperatures for areas in the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley and greater Midwest. Favored warmer than normal temperatures early in the month and after mid-month are forecast to offset this and along with a recent warmer than observed model bias across ensemble systems, Equal-Chances (EC) is depicted in the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley and mid-Atlantic due to the uncertainty in the final monthly mean June temperatures. Given consistent model guidance for a heat wave to impact much of the western U.S. including California early in the month and generally warmer than normal conditions forecast across time scales, the favored below-normal temperatures along the California coast is removed. Even though coastal SSTs remain below-average, it is unlikely that below-normal monthly mean temperatures are realized in this region. Coastal SSTs and model guidance supports an area of favored below-normal temperatures for southwest Alaska and parts of the south coast. Moreover, model guidance across multiple time scales supports the adjustment of favored above-normal temperatures to now be situated over the entire North Slope in Alaska. For precipitation, more changes are required than that for the updated June temperature outlook. Strong ridging across the west central U.S. forecast for much of the period favors below-normal monthly total precipitation to shift northward, as compared to the mid-month outlook, to the northern Rockies and northern High Plains. The favored ridge-trough forecast pattern over the CONUS from west to east for much of the first half of June supports a downstream mean frontal zone from the Southeast westward across the southern Plains to the south-central Rockies. This is further southward than described in the mid-month outlook discussion and so the above-normal precipitation area is shifted southwestward and extends from the Southeast westward to the south central Rockies. High odds for above-normal precipitation is forecast for a small region in the far Pacific Northwest. High precipitation amounts during the first week of June will likely produce amounts already in the above-normal category given the point in the seasonal cycle - even with potential little additional precipitation during an increasing dry time of year. Forecast troughing in proximity to the Great Lakes favors unsettled conditions downstream and so elevated odds of above-normal precipitation is forecast for the Northeast. The forecast for Alaska is unchanged. ****************************************************************************** ****** Mid-month previous discussion ****** ****************************************************************************** During the first half of May 2024, the transition from El Nino to ENSO neutral continues as shown by both oceanic and atmospheric indicators. A further transition to La Nina remains favored to occur sometime during the summer months. The MJO is currently not well organized. Although some model forecasts of the RMM index do indicate some improvement in the signal over the next couple of weeks, it seems potentially transient in nature with high uncertainty. Also, given the time within the seasonal cycle, there is low confidence in any reliable impacts to the U.S. and so the MJO did not play any substantial role in the monthly outlook. Soil moisture anomalies, coastal sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and long-term temperature trends are considered in preparation of the June 2024 outlook. The June 2024 temperature outlook depicts elevated odds for above-normal monthly mean temperatures for a region from eastern mainland Alaska to the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies south and east to the Southwest CONUS and eastward to include the southern Plains and Southeast. Subseasonal model guidance (ECMWF, GEFS, among others) favors mean ridging for the west-central CONUS northward across western Canada to eastern Alaska in early June. The potential ridging elevates odds for warmer than normal conditions for the first third of June for much of this area with dry soil moisture conditions adding support for areas in the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies and parts of the Southwest and southern High Plains. The majority of the NMME and C3S monthly model predictions also indicate above-normal temperatures for this region. Subtropical ridging along the southern tier of the U.S. supports elevated odds for above-normal temperatures for the southern Plains, Gulf coast and Southeast. Highest odds are forecast for the eastern Southwest and Texas where ridging, dry surface conditions and positive long-term temperature trends co-exist. Below-normal monthly mean temperatures are favored for two small areas for coastal central and southern California and also for parts of southwest Alaska. Cooler than normal ocean surface temperatures contribute to these forecasts with favored mean forecast troughing near and along the southern half of the West coast also supporting below-normal temperatures for the California region. A dipole forecast for enhanced odds for below-normal (above-normal) temperatures was considered for parts of the Midwest, Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic (northern Great lakes and New England) respectively. Conflicting model forecast guidance, soil moisture conditions and long-term temperature trends, however, made highlighting these areas in the outlook a low confidence forecast at the current time. Therefore, Equal Chances (EC) for either above-, near- or below-normal temperatures is forecast for the mid-month outlook and reevaluated for the end of the month update. For precipitation, elevated odds for above-normal monthly total precipitation amounts are forecast for a region from the central Plains eastward across the Ohio Valley to the mid-Atlantic. Both subseasonal and monthly model predictions indicate the tendency for a mean frontal zone in the interior of the CONUS from the Atlantic seaboard westward to the central CONUS. The location of this wetter than normal area is quite variable amongst the model solutions so the forecast area is generally placed in the most likely region after considering all the available information. Drier than normal monthly precipitation amounts are forecast for eastern areas of the Southwest as well as parts of the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. NMME and C3S model monthly predictions are in very good agreement this month similar to last several monthly forecast cycles for below-normal precipitation for the eastern Southwest, south-central Rockies and much of Texas implying a later and/or weaker southwest monsoon onset. Subseasonal model guidance in early June indicates positive 500-hPa height anomalies in the northeast Pacific ocean implying a northward shifted storm track and so elevated odds for below-normal precipitation is forecast in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. Some NMME and C3S model guidance also supports this forecast. Favored forecast ridging in western Canada can sometimes enhance warm season precipitation for far east-central mainland Alaska so a slight tilt toward above-normal precipitation is highlighted in this area for June 2024. Remaining areas depicted in white are forecasts of EC for either above-, near- or below-normal precipitation amounts due to weak climate signals and/or low historical forecast skill or reliability. FORECASTER: Jon Gottschalck The climatic normals are based on conditions between 1991 and 2020, following the World Meteorological Organization convention of using the most recent 3 complete decades as the climate reference period. The probability anomalies for temperature and precipitation based on these new normals better represent shorter term climatic anomalies than the forecasts based on older normals. The next monthly outlook...for Jul ... will be issued on Thu Jun 20 2024 These outlooks are based on departures from the 1991-2020 base period. $$
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