ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 121 PM EST SAT JAN 25 2014 VALID 12Z WED JAN 29 2014 - 12Z SUN FEB 02 2014 UPPER RIDGING WILL REMAIN DOMINANT OVER THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA THROUGH NEXT WEEK... BUT THE PARTIAL BREAKDOWN OF THE FULL-SCALE MERIDIONAL RIDGE CONTINUES TO BE PLAUGED BY POOR CONTINUITY OF MODEL SPECIFICS. THE GFS HAS SHOWN A RECENT DEPARTURE FROM THE MEANS IN THE SAME VEIN AS THE ECMWF HAD THE PREVIOUS TWO DAYS... SO WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON THE MORE STABLE MEANS /BOTH THE GEFS AND ECENS/ WITH ADDED DETAIL FROM THE NEAREST DETERMINISITIC MODEL... WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE 00Z ECMWF AT LEAST FOR DAYS 4-5. WITH TOO MANY SPURIOUS FEATURES AFTER THAT... RELENTED TO JUST A BLEND OF THE MEANS BUT WITH A GOOD NUMBER OF CORRECTIONS/ADDITIONS. THE PATTERN SUPPORTS A RETROGRESSION OF THE UPPER HIGH WESTWARD THROUGH ALASKA WHICH WILL KEEP ANY SYSTEMS IN THE BERING AND SOUTH OF ABOUT 50N... DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO BRING THEM FARTHER NORTH. ENSEMBLES HAVE BEEN STEADY ON NOT ALLOWING NORTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVES TO POKE INTO THE RIDGE ALONG THE NORTH SLOPE OR FROM THE EAST IN THE YUKON... AND WILL CONTINUE THAT PREFERENCE THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL STATE-WIDE... WITH THE PANHANDLE COOLED SOMEWHAT BY HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH OVER THE YUKON. PRECIP WILL BE ON THE LIGHT SIDE. FRACASSO