000 WTPZ41 KNHC 280830 TCDEP1 TROPICAL DEPRESSION ONE-E DISCUSSION NUMBER 6 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP012007 200 AM PDT MON MAY 28 2007 THE DEPRESSION HAS MAINTAINED CONVECTION OVERNIGHT AND GENERALLY LOOKS HEALTHIER THAN SIX HOURS AGO. MICROWAVE IMAGES SUGGEST THE CENTER IS BETWEEN TWO CLUSTERS OF CONVECTION...A MORE VIABLE POSITION THAN TWELVE HOURS AGO WHEN THE DEPRESSION WAS EXPOSED. SATELLITE INTENSITY ESTIMATES RANGE FROM 25 TO 30 KT...AND WITH THE REFRESHED SATELLITE PRESENTATION...THE INITIAL INTENSITY WILL BE INCREASED TO 30 KT. THE INTENSITY FORECAST REMAINS TRICKY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHETHER THE SHORT-TERM INCREASE IN ORGANIZATION IS INDICATIVE OF THE LONGER-TERM POTENTIAL OF THE SYSTEM. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT OF LOW SHEAR AND WARM SSTS IS BEING COUNTERED BY LIMITED THERMODYNAMICS. HOWEVER...INTENSITY GUIDANCE IS HIGHER THAN SIX HOURS AGO. THE GFDL EVEN FORECASTS THE DEPRESSION TO BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH IN THREE DAYS. IN DEFERENCE TO THE GUIDANCE...THE INTENSITY FORECAST WILL BE RAISED SLIGHTLY BUT STILL BELOW BOTH THE GFDL AND SHIPS MODELS. OVERALL...THIS HAS TO BE CONSIDERED A LOW CONFIDENCE FORECAST. THE INITIAL MOTION ESTIMATE IS WESTWARD OR 270/5...A LITTLE FASTER THAN BEFORE. MODEL GUIDANCE IS ALSO GENERALLY FASTER THAN EARLIER...DUE IN PART TO MOST MODELS SHOWING LESS INTERACTION WITH AN ITCZ DISTURBANCE TO THE EAST. A RIDGE IS STILL FORECAST TO BUILD NEAR AND TO THE NORTH OF THE DEPRESSION. THE ORIENTATION OF THE RIDGE WOULD ALLOW FOR A WEST TO WEST-SOUTHWEST TRACK FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH A MORE WESTWARD TRACK THEREAFTER. THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS FASTER THAN THE PREVIOUS PACKAGE AND IS REASONABLE CLOSE TO A CONSENSUS OF THE GFDL...ECMWF...UKMET...AND NOGAPS MODELS. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 28/0900Z 13.1N 112.4W 30 KT 12HR VT 28/1800Z 13.1N 113.0W 30 KT 24HR VT 29/0600Z 13.0N 113.8W 35 KT 36HR VT 29/1800Z 12.9N 114.5W 40 KT 48HR VT 30/0600Z 12.8N 115.2W 40 KT 72HR VT 31/0600Z 12.6N 116.6W 40 KT 96HR VT 01/0600Z 12.5N 118.0W 40 KT 120HR VT 02/0600Z 12.5N 119.5W 35 KT $$ FORECASTER BLAKE