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OCTOBER PATTERN INDEX (OPI) MONITORING WINTER SEASON 2014-2015


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The monitoring page of the “October pattern index” (OPI) is presented. The OPI index 
represents a analytic synthesis of the October hemispheric pattern at 500 hPa, and shows from 
previous studies quite a high correlation (r ≈ 0.9) with the winter mean Arctic Oscillation Index 
(DJF AO); this implies that the lower the OPI index is in October (negative values) and the higher 
will be the probability to have a weak polar vortex during the following winter. Therefore the OPI 
index could be a valid support tool in the seasonal forecasting of the winter season.
The OPI index is calculated through a dedicated software modeling elaborating the 31 daily 
hemispheric October at 500 hPa. This monitoring page is updated automatically with every run of 
the global forecast model GFS (Global Forecast System), except the 18:00z run. The software 
analyzes the previous consolidated daily charts plus 10 forecast charts as given by the GFS model. 
For example on the 15th of October, the software calculates the OPI index based on the 15 
consolidated daily charts (1-15 October) adding 10 forecast charts as given by the GFS model (16-
25 October). The definitive OPI index will be available only at the end of October, when the 
software will be able to elaborate all the 31 daily consolidated charts of the month. During the 
month the index will gradually tend to the final value starting to be reliable past the half of the 
month, when the consolidated charts number will overtake the forecast charts number.
Finally, at the beginning of November, the official seasonal forecast for the winter 2014-2015
will be released based on the final OPI value and on the recent developments of this research whose 
results have been discussed and analyzed so far with Prof. Judah Cohen (Director of Seasonal 
Forecasting at AER) and the Italian Air Force Lt. Col. Guido Guidi.
 
OPI Monitoring page link:


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The monitoring page of the “October pattern index” (OPI) is presented. The OPI index 
represents a analytic synthesis of the October hemispheric pattern at 500 hPa, and shows from 
previous studies quite a high correlation (r ≈ 0.9) with the winter mean Arctic Oscillation Index 
(DJF AO); this implies that the lower the OPI index is in October (negative values) and the higher 
will be the probability to have a weak polar vortex during the following winter. Therefore the OPI 
index could be a valid support tool in the seasonal forecasting of the winter season.
The OPI index is calculated through a dedicated software modeling elaborating the 31 daily 
hemispheric October at 500 hPa. This monitoring page is updated automatically with every run of 
the global forecast model GFS (Global Forecast System), except the 18:00z run. The software 
analyzes the previous consolidated daily charts plus 10 forecast charts as given by the GFS model. 
For example on the 15th of October, the software calculates the OPI index based on the 15 
consolidated daily charts (1-15 October) adding 10 forecast charts as given by the GFS model (16-
25 October). The definitive OPI index will be available only at the end of October, when the 
software will be able to elaborate all the 31 daily consolidated charts of the month. During the 
month the index will gradually tend to the final value starting to be reliable past the half of the 
month, when the consolidated charts number will overtake the forecast charts number.
Finally, at the beginning of November, the official seasonal forecast for the winter 2014-2015
will be released based on the final OPI value and on the recent developments of this research whose 
results have been discussed and analyzed so far with Prof. Judah Cohen (Director of Seasonal 
Forecasting at AER) and the Italian Air Force Lt. Col. Guido Guidi.
 
OPI Monitoring page link:

 

Welcome back, Ricardo. I look forward to the information provided in the link.

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Don-Would the weakness of it give it more, or less, tendency to meander around like it did last year?

 

 

I'm not Don, but a weakened polar vortex would be more conductive to meridional flow...so yes, it would increase the likelyhood of a "meandering" jet.

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The monitoring page of the “October pattern index” (OPI) is presented. The OPI index 

represents a analytic synthesis of the October hemispheric pattern at 500 hPa, and shows from 

previous studies quite a high correlation (r ≈ 0.9) with the winter mean Arctic Oscillation Index 

(DJF AO)

Finally, at the beginning of November, the official seasonal forecast for the winter 2014-2015

will be released based on the final OPI value and on the recent developments of this research whose 

results have been discussed and analyzed so far with Prof. Judah Cohen (Director of Seasonal 

Forecasting at AER) and the Italian Air Force Lt. Col. Guido Guidi.

When the official paper describing everything about the calculations of OPI and about OPI, will be released?

Will there be any such official or even informal paper?

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Thanks for providing this. It will be fun to track throughout the month.

Just curious about last years OPI DJF AO prediction of +1.64 when at the end of the day, the DJF AO came in at +0.188, barely positive. Was the large discrepancy a result of an X factor such as the strong pacific tropical typhones last fall or perhaps the record -EPO and stubborn Scandinavian block?

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Don-Would the weakness of it give it more, or less, tendency to meander around like it did last year?

It would. It's still early, but there seem to be some indications that cold and possibly snowy winter lies ahead for the Mid-Altantic and the forecast blocking episode in coming days might offer a hint.

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It would. It's still early, but there seem to be some indications that cold and possibly snowy winter lies ahead for the Mid-Altantic and the forecast blocking episode in coming days might offer a hint.

concur, ran a composite of all October's with AO days LESS than -2 in Oct. 15/20 winters in ORH were at or above climo snow with 11 out of those 15 significantly or well above normal. The years following winters composite 5H pattern.

post-322-0-53650500-1412208800.png

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concur, ran a composite of all October's with AO days LESS than -2 in Oct. 15/20 winters in ORH were at or above climo snow with 11 out of those 15 significantly or well above normal. The years following winters composite 5H pattern.

post-322-0-53650500-1412208800.png

This is looking more likely with the AO nearing -4 at the first week of October.
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Do you have an archive of October monthly values for previous years?

As said in other "places", we haven't ever issued the exact OPI reanalysis values. We'll make that when we publish our research. 

But you can get good values by the graph that we issued last year (sorry but i can't attach it here).

 

 

Hello to everyone

 

Riccardo

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As said in other "places", we haven't ever issued the exact OPI reanalysis values. We'll make that when we publish our research. 

But you can get good values by the graph that we issued last year (sorry but i can't attach it here).

 

Hello to everyone

 

Riccardo

 

I'm sure the plan is to cover these issues in the forthcoming paper, but I was wondering if you could fill us in on a few details...

 

In your first paragraph you describe your methodology as an "analytic synthesis" of 500mb height patterns.  Did you do an EOF analysis, EEMD, or what? 

 

Also, did you only use the period 2000-2012 for your training sample?  Overall, most DJF winters during this period featured -AO, and most of the +AO winters were weak-moderate (compared to say, 93-93 or 88-89).  I'm wondering if you overfitted your data and/or potentially biased the technique towards -AO.  Training your EOFs one one dataset and verifying them against a separate historical dataset would be one way to demonstrate that you're unbiased and not over-fitting. 

 

Anyway, great work here, and an r value of 0.97 is truly amazing.  I would just like to see how reliable the technique is before taking it as gospel. 

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OPI is going towards very negative values. These are still very uncertain values, but the situation is becoming interesting.

 

Riccardo

 

I see you had to update your graph and increase it from stopping at -3 to -4     lol

it won't be too long before somebody finds an analog that suggests too low is bad; if someone does find one, please don't post it  :weenie:

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concur, ran a composite of all October's with AO days LESS than -2 in Oct. 15/20 winters in ORH were at or above climo snow with 11 out of those 15 significantly or well above normal. The years following winters composite 5H pattern.

post-322-0-53650500-1412208800.png

verified now that the AO is -4 or more. I have confidence in saying ORH will experience an above normal snowfall this winter with a predominately -AO resulting in a 5H pattern conducive to snow storms.
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