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Here is my weather quiz question for this week. There is an old saying “Cold is the night when the stars shine bright.” What does this saying mean and how does it happen? Please post your answer as a comment by clicking on “no comments/comments” in the upper right hand portion of this page under the caption, then add your comment. The first person to post the correct answer will win a week of free personalized  weather forecasts tailored to your needs. The answer has to be a comment to win. An email answer will not count. Good luck.

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A weak upper air high pressure ridge (“arch” shape) gave us a bit of a break from the rain, but another storm will be approaching the coast soon. There will be an outdoor weekend due to surface high pressure (that blue “H” off the coast) followed by yet one more frontal system at the end of the weekend (position shown is Tuesday).

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Advisories:  A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 5 PM THURSDAY FOR THE NORTH CASCADES AND THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY.

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Here are your detailed forecasts. **

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Forecast for the Southern and lower Mid Willamette Valley including Eugene-Springfield and Albany-Corvallis:  Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of AM rain today, mostly cloudy with a good (50%) chance of rain this afternoon (0.10 in. of rain possible), evening rain likely (60%),  showers likely (60%) tonight (0.50 in. of rain possible), showers likely (60%) Thursday and Thursday evening (small hail possible), a good (50%) chance of showers late Thursday night, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of showers Friday, then partly cloudy Friday night highs 58-50 warming to 54 Friday lows 40-35. A mix of clouds and sun Saturday and Sunday, mostly clear Saturday night, increasing clouds late afternoon, mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of rain Sunday night, a good (50%) chance of rain Monday, partly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Monday night, then a mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday highs 58-68 cooling to near 55 Monday and Tuesday lows  32-45. (seasonal  averages high  63 low 40)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain today (AM snow level 3,500 ft.), rain likely (60%) tonight (snow level 3,500 ft. falling to 2,500 ft.), showers likely (60%) Thursday (snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,500 ft.),  a good (50%) chance of showers Thursday night (snow level 2,000 ft.) highs 60-52 lows 43-38. Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of showers Friday (snow level 2,500 ft.), a slight (20%) chance of showers Friday night, just mostly cloudy Saturday, partly cloudy Saturday night and Sunday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night, mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain Monday and Monday night, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday highs 56-63 warming to 69 Sunday cooling to near 62 Monday and Tuesday lows 38-45. (seasonal averages high 67 low 42)

[If you live in Douglas County here is a great garden tip for you. The Douglas County OSU Extension Service Master Gardeners will be holding their annual Plant & Garden Expo on Saturday, May 7th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds (Exit 123 off I-5). Don’t miss it.]

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with a (30%) chance of rain today, rain likely (60%) tonight, showers likely (60%) Thursday, a good (50%) chance of showers Thursday night (snow level 2,000 ft.), a (40%) chance of showers Friday, just mostly cloudy Friday night highs 55-50 lows 44-39. Partly cloudy Saturday through Sunday, mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of rain Sunday night, then a (30%) chance of rain Monday, a (40%) chance of rain Monday night, then mostly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of showers Tuesday highs 59-52 lows 40-46 cooling to near 40 Monday night. (seasonal averages high 59 low 44).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Some AM sun and a slight (20%) chance of snow, then mostly cloudy with  snow and rain likely (60%) this afternoon, rain and snow likely (60%) this evening, rain and snow showers and colder tonight (5-9 in. of snow possible), snow showers likely (60%) Thursday (4-8 in. of snow possible), snow showers likely (60%) Thursday night (2-5 in. of snow possible), snow showers likely (60%) Friday, then mostly cloudy with a (40%) chance of snow showers Friday night snow level 2,500 ft. rising to 3,500 ft. this afternoon, then 4,500 ft. falling to 3,000 ft. late tonight, 2,500 ft. Thursday and Thursday night, 2,500 ft. Friday afternoon, and 3,000 ft. Friday night highs 40-32 warming to 40 Friday lows 26-20. Partly cloudy with a slight (20%) chance of snow showers Saturday, partly cloudy Saturday night, a mix of clouds and sun Sunday, mostly cloudy Sunday night, a good (50%) chance of rain and snow Monday, then a (40%) chance of rain and snow showers Monday night, and a (30%) chance of rain and snow showers Tuesday snow level 3,500 ft. Saturday,  free air freezing level 5,500 ft. Saturday night, 9,000 ft. Sunday and Sunday night, snow level 4,500 ft. Monday, 3,500 Monday night,  then 3,000 ft. Tuesday highs 43-56 cooling to near 42 Tuesday lows 20-28.

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**Because weather forecasting is a combination of science, intuition, and timing there can be no absolute guarantees that individual forecasts will be 100% accurate. Nature is in a constant state of flux and sudden unexpected weather events can happen.