Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 PM EDT Wed Mar 20 2019 Valid 12Z Sun Mar 24 2019 - 12Z Thu Mar 28 2019 Upper ridging over northwestern Canada will rebuild over Southcentral and then the eastern interior/Yukon next week as a closed upper high. This favors continued/renewed troughing in the Bering Sea with a split flow south of the Gulf of Alaska. The models/ensembles were in good agreement through much of the period but differed on the track/timing/strength of a deep system crossing the Aleutians late Sun/early Mon. Trend has been toward the west but did not want to jump as far as the 12Z GFS and rather preferred the 00Z GFS/ECMWF with their ensemble means as a starting point. Still, potential exists for winds at least 30-40kts over the open Bering Sea waters toward western coastal areas, though that may be limited with a farther west track. This system is then forecast to lift northward, blocked from moving inland too much from the ridge/closed high downstream, focusing precipitation west of 155W (multi-inch totals in southeastern Kenai eastward toward Cordova). Southerly flow would bring in well above average temperatures, possibly near record highs, to much of the interior and especially the North Slope. Next system may not be until next Thursday into the western Aleutians. Fracasso Bullet points from the WPC Days 3-7 Hazards chart can be found at: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php - Heavy precipitation across portions of mainland Alaska, Mon, Mar 25. - Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland Alaska, Sat-Sun, Mar 23-Mar 24. - High winds across portions of mainland Alaska and the Aleutians, Mon, Mar 25. WPC medium range Alaskan products including 500mb, surface fronts/pressures progs and sensible weather grids can also be found at: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/ak_5dayfcst500_wbg.gif https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/akmedr.shtml https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/ak_5km_gridsbody.html