ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 210 PM EDT WED JUL 30 2014 VALID 12Z SUN AUG 03 2014 - 12Z THU AUG 07 2014 THE 30/00Z GEFS/ECENS MEANS MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIAL RIDGE AXIS ALONG THE WEST COAST OF NORTH AMERICA---AND A DEEP TROUGH AND CUTOFF 500 MILLIBAR LOW IN THE GULF OF ALASKA THIS MEDIUM RANGE PERIOD. A QUICK LOOK AT THE 30/12Z GFS DETERMINISTIC RUN INDICATES A SLIGHTLY FASTER EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THE MID-LEVEL FEATURE INTO THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE (DAYS 7-8) THAN IS CURRENTLY DEPICTED BY THE MOST RECENT WPC 500MB GRAPHICS. HOWEVER...THERE WAS BASICALLY NO CHANGE NOTED THROUGH DAY 6...AND THE SURFACE PATTERN DOES NOT DRASTICALLY CHANGE ITS TUNE FROM THE WPC FORECAST EVEN BEYOND DAY 6. OF NOTE--THE 30/00Z DETERMINISTIC ECMWF WAS A VERY STRONG SOLUTION IN THE GULF OF ALASKA AT THE SURFACE AND ITS 996MB LOW WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DEEPER THAN ITS ENSEMBLE MEAN HEADING INTO DAY 5. AT TIME OF THIS WRITING...THE 30/12Z ECMWF WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMPARISON. WITH MORE DIFFERENCES AT THE SURFACE THAN ALOFT...THOUGHT THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE DAY 6-8 FORECAST WAS TO BLEND THE 30/00Z MEANS AT A 60/40 CLIP (ECENS/GEFS RESPECTIVELY) TO ALLOW A SLIGHTLY FASTER PROGRESSION OF THE 500MB PATTERN BUT TEMPER THE SURFACE REFLECTION EMERGING BENEATH IT. VOJTESAK