ALASKA EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 306 PM EDT MON JUL 31 2017 VALID 12Z FRI AUG 04 2017 - 12Z TUE AUG 08 2017 THE UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN STARTS OFF WITH A TROUGH/CLOSED LOW SOUTH OF THE STATE IN THE PACIFIC AND AN ASSORTMENT OF DYNAMICS ALONG SPLIT FLOW ALOFT DIGGING THROUGH THE BERING SEA. THE LATTER WILL PROCEED THROUGH THE ALEUTIANS AND BECOME A SEMI-PERMANENT FEATURE SOUTH OF AK THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE, THIS FEATURE WILL ALSO KICK-OUT THE INITIAL LOW/TROUGH OVER THE GULF OF AK, WHICH WILL STREAM INTO THE PANHANDLE AND SERN PORTION OF THE STATE TO ALLOW ONSHORE FLOW TO COMMENCE. MEANWHILE, THE ARCTIC STREAM WILL REMAIN QUITE ACTIVE DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD. ONE STRONG SHORT WAVE WILL BYPASS TO THE NORTH FRI-SUN BEFORE THE NEXT SET OF UPPER HEIGHT FALLS APPROACH THE NORTHERN/NWRN PORTION OF THE STATE LATE WEEKEND/EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE 06Z AND 12Z GFS APPEARS COMPARABLE TO THE STABLE 00Z ECMWF EARLY ON IN THE FORECAST PERIOD, WITHIN THE FORECAST SPREAD ON SMALL SCALE DETAILS THAT SUM UP THE LARGE SCALE. THESE OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS COMBINED WITH THE 00Z ECMWF/NAEFS MEANS AND 06Z GEFS MEAN APPEARS TO BE A SOLID BLEND/COMPROMISE TO THE ENTIRE FORECAST PERIOD FOR AK. MUSHER