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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 slippery conditions 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.
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Advisories: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM FOR THE COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON, THE CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF OREGON, THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, THE NORTH OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS, 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 FREEZE WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 8 AM MONDAY FOR THE NORTH OREGON COAST. A FROST ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT UNTIL 8 AM MONDAY FOR THE SOUTH OREGON COAST. A HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE 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 brought colder air and our first real taste of Winter this season. Another surface low will move in along with the upper level low that will slide across Oregon bringing another chance for snow. It will turn back to just rain by Tuesday night except for the mountains. Mt. Ashland is closed due to poor snow conditions. Hoodoo is open (as usual closed Wednesdays). Willamette Pass will be open on a very limited basis 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 scattered rain or snow showers tonight (under 0.10 in. of rain possible) and Monday AM (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), rain or snow showers in the afternoon (1 in. of snow possible, under 0.10 in. of rain possible), rain or snow showers Monday night (1-3 in. of snow possible, 0.25 in. of rain possible), rain or snow showers Tuesday (0.30 in. of rain possible), then rain Tuesday night (0.40 in. of rain possible) through Wednesday night lows 30-40 highs 40-50. Mostly cloudy with rain Thursday, showers Thursday night, rain Friday through Saturday, then rain likely (60%) Saturday night and Sunday highs 50-44 warming to near 48 Sunday lows 40-33. (seasonal averages high 47 low 34)
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Forecast for the Umpqua Basin including Roseburg: Mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers this evening, snow showers likely (60%) late tonight (snow level 1,000 ft. this evening, 1 in. of snow possible, under 0.10 in. of rain possible), a good (50%) chance of AM 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), rain and snow showers likely (60%) in the evening, rain and snow showers Monday night (1-2 in. of snow above 1,500 ft., 1 in. at lower elevations, 0.10 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers Tuesday (snow level 500 ft.rising to 1,000 ft. in the afternoon, 0.15 in. of rain possible), and Tuesday evening (snow level 1,000 ft. rising to 2,000 ft. in the afternoon), rain and snow Tuesday night (snow level 2,000 ft. rising to 2,500 ft. late, 0.25 in. of rain possible), then mostly cloudy with rain Wednesday and Wednesday night lows 29-40 highs 43-52. Mostly cloudy with rain Thursday through Friday night, then rain and snow Saturday through Sunday highs 52-42 lows 43-33. (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 coastal evening showers and rain and snow showers inland, rain and snow showers likely (60%) late tonight (snow level 1,000 ft. falling to 500 ft. late, 1 in. of snow possible, under 0.10 in. of rain possible), AM coastal rain and snow showers likely (60%) and showers likely (60%) in the afternoon, a good (50%) chance of AM rain and snow showers inland and rain and snow showers in the afternoon (under 0.10 in. of rain possible) Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), evening coastal showers, rain and snow showers late Monday night with rain and snow showers inland (snow level 1,000 ft. falling to 500 ft. late, 1-3 in. of snow possible, 0.25 in. of rain possible), mostly cloudy with coastal showers and rain and snow showers inland Tuesday (snow level 1,000 ft. rising to 1,500 ft. in the afternoon, 0.30 in. of rain possible) and breezy (winds: S 15-25 mph), rain late Tuesday night, then rain and windy Wednesday (0.60 in. of rain possible) and Wednesday night lows 35-45 highs 45-50. Mostly cloudy and windy with rain Thursday, rain and breezy Thursday night and Friday, rain and windy Friday night, mostly cloudy with rain Saturday, then rain and snow Saturday night and Sunday highs 53-45 lows 47-38. (seasonal averages high 52 low 40).
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Forecast for the Cascades of Lane County: Mostly cloudy with snow showers tonight (1-3 in. of snow possible), snow showers (1-3 in. of snow possible) Monday (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), snow showers (3-7 in. of snow possible) Monday night and breezy (wind: SW 15-25 mph), snow showers Tuesday, snow Tuesday night, rain or snow Wednesday AM, then rain Wednesday night snow level at the surface tonight through Tuesday night, 3,000 ft. rising to 7,000 ft. Wednesday afternoon, then 6,000 ft. Wednesday night lows 12-33 highs 20-36. Mostly cloudy with rain Thursday, showers Thursday night, rain Friday, rain and snow and breezy Friday night and Saturday, then mostly cloudy with rain and snow Saturday night and Sunday snow level 6,500 ft. Thursday, 6,000 ft. Thursday night, 6,500 ft. Friday, 5,000 ft. Friday night, 3,500 ft. Saturday, then 3,000 ft. Saturday night and Sunday highs 37-28 warming to 35 Sunday lows 28-20.
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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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