Hope yall don't mind, but I wanted to step away from the models for a moment and go thru some thoughts on where we are and where we are headed with tropical forcing.
First off, here is OLR averaged over the last 3 months. This is the ENSO signal (also referred to as the low frequency signal) whereby convection has been anomalously high (-OLR) in the Maritime Continent / Indonesia and anomalously low (+OLR) near and just to the west of the dateline. This is a classic La Nina profile. A mature El Nino would have the exact opposite profile of -OLR near the dateline and +OLR in Indonesia.
Now, superimposed on top of the low frequency ENSO signal is the MJO which travels west to east in the tropics (also referred to as the high frequency signal). One way to track the MJO is by viewing the anomalous Velocity Potential signal (also referred to as CHI200 on this chart below). Velocity Potential / CHI200 is simply an indication of anomalous divergence (-VP / -CHI) or convergence (+VP / +CHI) at the upper levels of the atmosphere (200mb). If there is anomalous divergence in the upper levels of the atmosphere, that is a convection enhancer (upper level divergence fosters rising motion and convection / thunderstorms in the tropics)....and anomalous convergence in the upper levels fosters sinking motion (anomalously low amounts of convection).
We can see on this chart below that the MJO signal for enhanced convection in the tropics for Dec1-2 extends from South America thru the Atlantic Ocean, and thru Africa.
Both the GEFS and EPS move this -VP signal east and maximize it in the Indian Ocean here on Dec 7th
The MJO doesn't have full control of weather patterns of course, but on average, when the convective signal is maxed out in the Indian Ocean in early Dec (-VP in blue in Indian Ocean on image below), this favors a -PNA / +NAO pattern as seen here (of course, we have other processes ongoing that favor a -NAO developing).
The question then becomes, how fast will the convective signal move east to where it is maximized in Indonesia, then the West Pacific, then finally in South America (during La Nina, the convective signal is weak across the central and eastern Pacific, and it will later ignite convection in S America as the signal moves east). As E Webb pointed out, there has been some level of delay shown on the modeling with the propagation of the MJO east out of the Indian Ocean, but based on the repeating MJO cycle we've seen this fall, we should expect to see the signal eventually move east. Once this occurs, the MJO will enhance the background La Nina convective signal (referred to as constructive interference). That constructive interference should have the capability to impart more of an impact to the atmospheric pattern over N America.
On the GEFS (EPS is similar), we can see the convective signal in the eastern Maritime Continent and W Pacific on Dec 16, with the signal shown also extended to S America on Dec 18
Here is the average pattern map for mid-Dec when the convective signal is in the Maritime Continent and W Pacific....-EPO / -NAO
And here are the average pattern maps for late-Dec when the convective signal has move east to S America....-EPO / -NAO to -EPO / +PNA / -NAO
Anthony M highlighted his thoughts on this progression here:
Bottom line: if we can get the MJO convective signal to move out of the Indian Ocean and then constructively interfere with (combine with) the background La Nina convective signal, then move east out of the Maritime Continent, this would favor better prospects for ridging moving closer to the west coast, not to mention a continued signal for a -NAO. The fly in the ointment to watch would be if the -VP MJO signal stalls and somehow just collapses in the Indian Ocean....that would favor a problematic continuation of a heavy -PNA regime. So far this fall, we haven't seen this type of stall in the Indian Ocean....we've actually seen more of the opposite where the convective signal is largely bypassing that region due to a bit cooler waters there this year associated with the -IOD...but we'll have to see how this turns out this round.
Lastly, I wanted to post the most recent Mtn Torque chart which shows a sharp recovery in the previous very low numbers. You can see on the chart how the E Asia Mtn Torque numbers (red line) were lower in Sep, higher in Oct, and lower in Nov. I suspect / hope that the number will rebound higher in Dec. Higher E Asian Mtn Torque helps to extend the Pacific Jet which is needed during La Nina to get the ridging closer to the west coast.
If you've made it this far, you deserve some type of reward or compensation. May tonight's model runs be good ones!