ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 301 PM EDT MON JUN 02 2014 VALID 12Z FRI JUN 06 2014 - 12Z TUE JUN 10 2014 THE JUNE 2/00Z ECENS/GEFS MEANS AND THEIR DETERMINISTIC RUNS REMAIN IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH DAY 5-6 PERIOD...WITH POSITIVE TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE STATE. THIS BROAD-SCALE WARMING TREND AND A SUBTLE SOUTHWARD SHIFT IN THE MID-LEVEL CYCLONE TRACK...IS CAPPED BY A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT DROPPING OUT OF THE DEEP ARCTIC AND SPILLING INTO THE BERING SEA BEYOND DAY 6. BY NEXT WEEKEND...THE DETERMINISTIC GFS SOLUTION LOOKED A LITTLE TOO AGGRESSIVE WITH COLDER AIR FUNNELING ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE---UNDERCUTTING THE WARMTH OF THE RIDGE WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BE IN PLACE AHEAD OF ITS 'MODIFIED' ARCTIC AIRMASS REPLACEMENT SCENARIO. INTO DAY 6 AND THROUGH DAY 8...IN RESPONSE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE TROUGH IN THE BERING SEA...THE DOWNSTREAM PATTERN (EAST OF 150W) AMPLIES AND SURFACE/MID-LEVEL RIDGING BEGINS TO SPREAD NORTH AND NORTHWESTWARD ACROSS THE PANHANDLE...NORTHERN GULF AND INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL INTERIOR. USED THE 2/00Z GEFS/ECENS MEANS EQUALLY TO CAPTURE THE GRADUAL AMPLIFICATION OF THE PATTERN...BUT ALLOW THE UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH TO SLOWLY DIG INTO THE SOUTH CENTRAL BERING SEA. VOJTESAK