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Be careful driving during this storm. Make sure you at least carry chains if you will be driving in the foothills or mountains and be aware that there could be some accumulation as far down as the valley floor. You need extra stopping distance when the roadway is slippery. Remember that bridges and overpasses cool down faster than the regular roadway which means that snow could pile up faster and conditions can get icy quicker than on the streets. At least Monday is a holiday for many so fewer people will have to be driving Monday morning when the roads could be slippery.

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Advisories:  A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 4 PM TODAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST, THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON, THE CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF OREGON, THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS, THE ENTIRE I-5 CORRIDOR FROM PORTLAND THROUGH EUGENE AND SPRINGFIELD,  AND THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES, THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS OF LANE COUNTY, THE CASCADES OF LANE COUNTY, AND THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 500 FT. THROUGH 10 PM TONIGHT FOR THE NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH OREGON COAST. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM TONIGHT FOR CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY, EASTERN CURRY COUNTY, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, THE EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS, AND JACKSON COUNTY, THE SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES, THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND THE SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS. A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH OREGON COAST.

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An upper level low pressure trough (“U” shape on yellow line) has taken over  by sending a frontal system through Oregon that is bringing colder air and our first real taste of Winter this season and rain with snow mixed in with it possibly dropping up to a couple inches of snow down to the valley floor and possibly a few inches between 500 ft. and 1,000 ft. with more in the foothills and mountains before it turns to rain Tuesday.  We could be in for more snowy weather later in the week. Mt. Ashland is closed due to poor snow conditions. Hoodoo is open (as usual closed Wednesdays). Willamette Pass will be open on a limited basis today and again on Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Please check their web sites for the latest details and updates as the new storms could improve the snowpack for skiing.

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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: Mostly cloudy with rain or snow showers today (1-2 in. of snow possible, 0.25 in. of rain possible),  a good (50%) chance of snow showers tonight, snow showers  likely (60%) Monday AM (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), rain or snow showers likely (60%) in the afternoon (1 in. of snow possible, 0.10 in. of rain possible), rain or snow showers Monday night (0.25 in. of rain possible) and Tuesday AM, rain or snow in the afternoon, then rain or snow Tuesday night highs 40-37 warming to 43 Tuesday lows 28-36. Mostly cloudy with rain Wednesday through Thursday, rain likely (60%) Thursday night, rain Friday, then rain likely (60%) Friday night and Saturday highs 50-46 lows 42-38. (seasonal averages high 47 low 34)

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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: AM snow showers, rain and snow showers this afternoon (snow level 500 ft., 1-2 in. of snow possible, 0.15 in. of rain possible), rain and snow showers likely (60%) this evening, snow showers likely (60%) late tonight (snow level 500 ft., 1 in. of snow possible, under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of AM rain and snow showers, rain and snow showers (snow level 500 ft., 1 in. of snow possible, under 0.10 in. of rain possible) likely (60%) Monday afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) and Monday night (0.25 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers Tuesday and Tuesday evening (snow level 1,000 ft. rising to 2,000 ft. in the afternoon), then rain and snow late Tuesday night highs 40-43 lows 29-40. Mostly cloudy with rain Wednesday through Saturday highs 52-46  lows near 40. (seasonal averages high 50 low 37)

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Forecast for the South Oregon Coast including Coos Bay and North Bend: Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers (snow level 500 ft., 1-2 in. of snow possible below 1,000 ft and 2-3 in. of snow possible above 1,000 ft., 0.35 in. of rain possible) today, coastal evening showers likely (60%), rain and snow showers likely (60%) late tonight with rain and snow showers likely (60%) inland tonight (snow level 500 ft., 1 in. of snow possible, 0.10 in. of rain possible), AM coastal showers likely (60%) inland and showers in the afternoon, a chance of AM rain and snow showers inland with rain and snow showers (snow level 500 ft., 1 in. of snow possible, 0.15 in. of rain possible) Monday afternoon (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), evening coastal showers likely (60%) with showers late Monday night, rain and snow showers inland (snow level 500 ft.), mostly cloudy with  coastal showers and rain and snow showers inland Tuesday, showers Tuesday evening, then rain late Tuesday night highs 45-42 warming to 46 Tuesday lows 35-45. Mostly cloudy and windy with rain Wednesday and Wednesday night, rain and breezy Thursday, rain Thursday night and Friday, rain Friday night, then mostly cloudy and breezy with rain again Saturday highs 50-47 lows 45-42. (seasonal averages high 52 low 40).

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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with snow showers and colder today (3-6 in. of snow possible), snow showers tonight (1-4 in. of snow possible) and Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) (1-2 in. of snow possible), snow in the evening, snow showers late Monday night and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph), snow showers Tuesday AM, then snow Tuesday afternoon and night snow level at the surface today through Tuesday night highs 20-26 lows 12-25. Mostly cloudy with rain and snow Wednesday AM, rain in the afternoon, rain or snow Wednesday night and breezy, rain Thursday, rain or snow likely (60%) Thursday night, rain Friday, rain or snow and breezy Friday night, then rain or snow and breezy Saturday snow level 3,000 ft. rising to 6,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon through Friday, 5,000 ft. Friday night, then 4,000 ft. Saturday highs 38-35 lows near 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.

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Get your local Eugene-Springfield news on-line at Eugene Daily News.com.

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