I gotta stop getting so heavily influenced by the cute SLP/QPF maps...that's what tends to get me, especially when you'll have say like the GFS which isn't going to resolve some of the finer nuisances like the mesos would so it has that beautiful looking QPF shield. Gotta get these questions embedded into the noggin:
1) Does the QPF on that widespread of a scale make sense?
2) If that QPF makes sense, what is happening with that QPF (which this question could have a subset of several additional questions)?
3) What is going on with llvl and mlvl storm evolution and how is that impacting overall lift? Is there going to be a heavy reliance for narrow bands of frontogenesis or are we looking at a larger scale source for greater and more intense banding?
How this precipitation shield evolved...IMO the NAM and Euro really nailed it but I can remember that 12z NAM run from Friday...seemed like so many were quick to discount it because the precip shield didn't make sense...well it did make sense and the reasons why it made sense, verified nicely. Heavier stuff northwest, kind of crap in the middle unless you got lucky with some narrow bands, and then heavier stuff northeast.