ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 249 PM EDT FRI MAR 25 2016 VALID 12Z TUE MAR 29 2016 - 12Z SAT APR 02 2016 THE ALASKA MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST IS SEEMINGLY "ANCHORED IN PLACE" --- BY A STRONG...DEEP-LAYERED RIDGE CENTERED ALONG 135W LONGITUDE AND INVOF 56N LATITUDE. THIS FEATURE WILL ALLOW THE MIGRATORY SHORTWAVE STORM TRACK (IN THE DAY5-8 PERIOD) TO MAINTAIN A GENERAL SOUTH-TO-NORTH DRIFT ---EARLY IN THE PERIOD. THEN TRANSITION TO MORE OF A SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST DRIFT --- BY THE LATTER PORTION OF THIS PARTICULAR FORECAST PERIOD. THE RIDGE --- CREATING A SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL 'BLOCK' PATTERN. THE 25/00Z ENSEMBLES AND THEIR MEANS ARE IN ABOVE AVERAGE AGREEMENT WITH THE DEEP-LAYERED RIDGE --- AND A GRADUAL 'UNDERCUTTING' OF THE NORTH CENTRAL PACIFIC ENERGY. THE 'UNDERCUTTING' IS A MID-LATITUDE FORECAST CONCERN...AND FOR THE MAINLAND'S WEST COAST. BUT NOT REALLY --- A FORECAST ISSUE FOR THE ALASKA FORECAST REGION IN THE DAY 8+ TIME FRAME WITH THE FLOW 'BLOCKED OUT' OF THE GULF OF ALASKA. IF ANYTHING ... ANTICIPATE THE GRAVEYARD FOR THE PATTERN TO BE NEAR THE YUKON DELTA AND SOUTHEAST BERING SEA--- IF A SERIES OF DYING WARM FRONTS AND/OR CYCLONIC 'WHORLS' CAN MAKE THEIR WAY ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE STATE --- 'INTACT'. THE 25/00Z DETERMINISTIC ECMWF MORE CLOSELY FITS ITS MEAN ... AND WAS USED TODAY TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY WITH THE STORM TRACK AND SEQUENCING --- OF PACIFIC MOISTURE INTRUSIONS (WARM ADVECTION) INTO THE ALASKAN INTERIOR AND SOUTHWEST PENINSULA. OBVIOUSLY...THE COMPLEXITY OF THE QUASI-STATIONARY BUT PREDICTABLE PATTERN EMERGING OFFERS NO 'PERFECT PROG' SOLUTION AFTER THE DAY 5-6 TIME FRAME --- BUT THE PRESENCE OF THIS RIDGE WILL CERTAINLY DEFLECT THE BULK OF THE PACIFIC FLOW AWAY FROM THE PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST COAST. VOJTESAK