WDPN31 PGTW 161500 MSGID/GENADMIN/JOINT TYPHOON WRNCEN PEARL HARBOR HI// SUBJ/PROGNOSTIC REASONING FOR TROPICAL STORM 20W (KROVANH) WARNING NR 08// RMKS// 1. FOR METEOROLOGISTS. 2. 6 HOUR SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS. TROPICAL STORM (TS) 20W (KROVANH), LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 386 NM NORTH-NORTHEAST OF ANDERSEN AFB, GUAM, HAS TRACKED WESTWARD AT 10 KNOTS OVER THE PAST SIX HOURS. ANIMATED EIR SATELLITE IMAGERY DEPICTS IMPROVING STRUCTURE WITH TIGHTLY-CURVED BANDS WRAPPING INTO THE CENTER. A 161150Z METOP-B MICROWAVE IMAGE ALSO REVEALS CONVECTIVE BANDING WRAPPING INTO A WELL-DEFINED MICROWAVE EYE. THE CURRENT POSITION IS BASED ON THE EIR LOOP, MICROWAVE EYE FEATURE AND CORRESPONDING FIXES FROM PGTW AND RJTD WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE. BASED ON THE CURRENT STRUCTURE, THE INITIAL INTENSITY OF 60 KNOTS IS HEDGED HIGHER THAN DVORAK INTENSITY ESTIMATES OF T3.5 (55 KNOTS) FROM ALL REPORTING AGENCIES. UPPER-LEVEL ANALYSIS INDICATES KROVANH REMAINS IN A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT WITH LOW VWS AND RADIAL OUTFLOW AS EVIDENT ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. ADDITIONALLY, WARM SSTS IN THE AREA ARE CONDUCIVE FOR THE INTENSIFICATION. TS 20W CONTINUES TO TRACK ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF A SUBTROPICAL STEERING RIDGE TO THE NORTH. 3. FORECAST REASONING. A. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THE FORECAST PHILOSOPHY SINCE THE PREVIOUS PROGNOSTIC REASONING MESSAGE. B. TS 20W IS EXPECTED TO TRACK GENERALLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF THE CURRENT STEERING RIDGE FOR THE NEXT 36 HOURS BEFORE TURNING POLEWARD AND ROUNDING THE RIDGE AXIS THROUGH TAU 72. CONTINUED FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENTAL AND UPPER-LEVEL CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO UNDERGO RAPID INTENSIFICATION, LEADING TO A PEAK INTENSITY OF 115 KNOTS BY TAU 48. C. IN THE EXTENDED TAUS, TS 20W WILL REMAIN ON THE NORTHEASTWARD TRAJECTORY. INCREASING VWS AND COOLER SSTS WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN THE SYSTEM AS IT ACCELERATES INTO THE MIDLATITUDE BAROCLINIC ZONE. DYNAMIC MODEL GUIDANCE IS OVERALL IN GOOD AGREEMENT LENDING TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE JTWC TRACK FORECAST WHICH IS POSITIONED CLOSE TO MULTI-MODEL CONSENSUS.// NNNN