ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 131 PM EDT THU APR 17 2014 VALID 12Z MON APR 21 2014 - 12Z FRI APR 25 2014 THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE ALASKA REGION FORECAST AT THE MEDIUM RANGE IS THAT THE 00Z/17 ECMWF WAS CORRELATED WELL ENOUGH WITH THE RECENT ENSEMBLE MEANS TO PREPOSSESS ITS DETERMINISTIC MASS FIELDS FOR USE IN THE CURRENT MANUAL BLEND. BEFORE THAT ECMWF RUN, NONE OF THE RECENT OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS WERE STABLE ENOUGH--NOR SUFFICIENTLY IN SYNC WITH THE MULTI-DAY MEANS--TO FORTIFY THE STRUCTURE OF THE VARIOUS WAVES CROSSING THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC NEAR THE REGION. THE SHIFT TO THE OPERATIONAL ECMWF THIS FORECAST FOCUSES TWO SENSIBLE WEATHER PREDICTIONS. FIRST, WITH THE BIG SURFACE LOW ACTUALLY CROSSING THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN INTO THE BERING SEA MID PERIOD, PRECIPITATION, WINDS, AND SEAS ALL GO UP AS THREATS OVER THE ISLANDS. SECOND, THE REFINEMENT OF THE WAVE TRAIN ACROSS THE REGION NOW SHUTS OUT THE PANHANDLE FROM SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION FOR MUCH OF THE MEDIUM RANGE. THE INTERIOR LOOKS DRY AND SEASONABLY CHILLY. CISCO